Project: Ignition
by Airship Canon
Summary: In the past, Humans fought the BETA. After a brutal war, humanity earned its victory at a terrible cost. However, in this day, where the mighty Lynx and the NEXT rule the battlefield... after the hero Strayed felled the Assault Cells... the BETA have returned to once again devour humanity. Muv Luv Alternative/Armored Core For Answer (mostly) crossover, Original Characters.
1. Prelude: Rise of the Core

**-Project: Ignition-**  
by Airship Canon

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**Warning: Reader Discretion is Advised!  
**The following contains themes of... error reporting information. There may be nightmare fuel involved. Proceed with caution.

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**Prelude:** _  
Rise of the Core_

Earth, 1970s... Mankind faced an enemy invasion from regions in the universe far unknown, the BETA. The BETA, or Beings of Extra Terrestrial origin which are Adversaries of the human race, came in nearly infinite numbers and were horrifyingly powerful. With the threat of Laser-class BETA, sometimes referred to as Lux, beings that could produce a high-intensity beam of destructive light from their eyes, humanity lost its power of "Air Superiority" and got dragged into a brutal war that lasted for years on end. Within 30 years of this on-going struggle, casualties numbered in the billions.

As a result of the loss of aircraft due to Laser-class, a new weapon was developed in order to fight the BETA, the Tactical Surface Fighter, or TSF. Originally based on tanks, early TSFs were easily destroyed by BETA, until the former avionics industry took control of the production of TSFs, and began to treat the humanoid mecha more of as low altitude fighter-aircraft rather than tanks, and slowly, humanity began to regain ground.

In 2002, the Primary BETA hive existing on Earth was destroyed in a massive operation; one that was has since been attributed to the success of what would later be described as the first "Arms Fort", the XG-70 Susanoo IV. No clear record of the battle for the Primary hive would survive. However, some ill-proposed records continue to point to one man as a hero of the battle, suggesting that he was the man who piloted the XG-70; however, no further information can be found on the XG-70's pilot, neither before nor after the Primary Objective battle. It is as-if he or anyone else around the XG-70 didn't even exist. Only details regarding the 00-unit that died shortly after the battle exist. Some believe the information was lost, like much of the details regarding the BETA war, during the tyrannical reign of "Father" in the mid 2000s.

In the following years, BETA were hunted down, and eradicated, like what had been done to humans throughout the war. Nations from across the world sought a powerful resource extracted by the BETA- the G-elements, from which the K-307 isotope or "Kojima Particle" would be discovered. The G-elements, at that time were volatile and highly dangerous, but due to their curious nature, they began to be seen as a valuable asset, and countless lives were lost to the BETA as hive attacks became regular.

By 2023, all traces of BETA had been wiped out on Earth, in part to the development of a new type of TSF, the AC-0: the Armored Core. Based off the F-35 Lightning II frame, the AC-0 was a next-gen TSF designed to operate under all conditions exceptionally well, and it used an interchangeable frame that allowed for an immense amount of operations conditions, by freely changing its parts to suit the need of battle. The AC-0's versatility made it a horrifyingly powerful asset, and due to its nature, it was also extremely cost-effective in all areas. Soon, however, it would become the weapon of choice for a tyrannical government...

In 2036, an unknown group of rebels, that were supposedly set in place by the vice president of the US, armed with AC-0s engaged US Eishi near the southern border. The AC-0s wiped out the battalion of F-35 Lightning IIs stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Phoenix Arizona and declared themselves as emissaries of "Father". This began the Arizona conflict, a war that would bring the former superpower, the United States, to its knees. Moreover, the US was only the first nation to fall before the might of "Father". Within 12 years of the start of the Arizona Conflict, Father had cemented his reign- and Earth lie under a shattered sky.

No longer would the Eishi be seen as the heroes of the battlefield: now they are likened to ghosts, TSFs proved inferior to Cores, and Ravens, the chosen name for Eishi who pilot Cores, rather than TSFs, rule the land, exerting Father's will. Many Ravens would not continue their alliance with Father, and would instead become wandering mercenary elites, who yield complete alliance to no one, and are instead, turned by money.

Like all things, however, Father's reign would not be without conflict. A woman, known as Fran eventually started a revolt, which eventually saw Father slain at the hands of his very allies, the enigmatic Corporation, a weapons manufacturing group who only sought profit. This conflict saw the re-deployment of G-Element based weapons, in all applications save for use of a Moorcock-Lechte Drive, and a massive autonomous weapon known as L.L.L., and several others like it, including the Exxusia assault craft, which would soon become famous for being known for the revival of the 00 Human-Computer Integration project.

The aftermath of Fran's revolt soon became the clan war, where clans of Ravens gathered together in a mad grab for survivable territory. The might of the corporation loomed gravely over that battlefield, and the revived 00 project was at the heart of it. The 00 project eventually became known as the Human-Plus augmentation project, but as the conflict escalated, the cost of the Human Plus project forced it to fall to the wayside, completely forgotten. Even the Corporation could not afford the development of the project in the light of the need to field powerful and costly ACs on the battlefield, a battlefield ruled by mercenaries.

By 2044, the Corporation as it was known in the clan wars had fallen, and several other companies had risen- seeing a return of sovereign nations and at last, it seemed, there was a semblance of peace... However, corporate greed soon over took humanity as humans tried to claim the stars, leading to the deployment of powerful orbital weapons, known as Assault Cells were deployed in massive numbers over the Earth, and the path to space became blocked for mankind. With survivable territory on Earth a premium, war once again became inevitable and large-scale conflicts between nations were commonplace.

Things would change with the discovery K-307, or the Kojima Particle, named for the scientist who wrought the isotope from the G-elements, would bring about the most radical of changes for humanity. Kojima Particles were a miracle source of energy, and had amazing physical properties, including a weak gravitic manipulation- a property of the now excessively rare G-Elements, and a core for the Susanoo, but were thousands of times more reactive, and deadly than loose G-Elements. Kojima's most notable quality outside of its obvious use as an energy source, however, was the way it reacts to motion. In certain densities, when a current is ran thru it, it activates a peculiar quality of the Kojima Particle- when the particles collide with each other in this state, they become semi-solid, slowing incoming objects like a piece of steel would.

It was then, that the great companies Rayleonard and Akavit brought about a powerful use for the Kojima Particle, the Fourth Generation Armored Core: the NEXT. Rayleonard's 00-3/AALIYAH was the first of the new class of Armored Core to be deployed on to the battlefield, and it utilized the full array of new equipment- including the Allegorical Manipulation System, or AMS, a new highly advanced control system, built as a result of the once-again resurgent 00 Human-Plus, Human-Computer Integration Project, a relic from the early 2000s. However, in addition to the increased speed and maneuverability of the NEXT, its greatest asset is Primal Armor, a powerful shield created using Kojima Particles and their ability to become semi-solid.

In 2107, Rayleonard and its corporate allies declared war upon the nations of the world, with 26 NEXTs as their hidden ace. This war, which would become known as the National Dismantlement War, only lasted a month and a half- and it brought the world once ruled by the Ravens to its knees. Thus ended an era, and brought upon the time of the Lynx, and ultimately, the Pax.

The Pax or Pax Economica was a brutal time for humanity- a totalitarian rule by the corporations who had brought about the end of Nationality for good where people were forced to live as slaves in colonies, with the threat of at any moment becoming victim to a company's greed. It was commonplace to destroy the colonies of rival companies, so colonies often found themselves needing to arm themselves by hiring Lynx, which created and endless cycle of debt to the ruling corporations. It is during the Pax that a young woman in Anatolia named Fiona Jarnefeldt found a mysterious Raven survivor of the National Dismantlement War. The man who she found would eventually be known as both hero and villain, as soon his actions would lead to another war, the Lynx war.

During the Lynx War, it was said that Anatolia's Mercenary struck down the heads of two companies himself- striking lethal blows to the Bernard and Felix Foundation and Rayleonard, as well as killing several of the Originals, the Lynx who had fought in the National Dismantlement war. A large number of lives were lost in this swift, but brutal war. However, its greatest issue would be the large amounts of Kojima Particle Pollution spread on the Earth's surface. On the poisoned Earth, humanity dwindled as countless perished from Kojima poisoning.

By time it was 2117, the world's population had once again dwindled, with millions of people now living in the skies, due to massive amounts of Kojima Particle Pollution on the surface. Only in the Cradles, which floated peacefully 7000 meters above the surface, was the air clean and safe to breathe. It was then that a woman by the name of Kasumi Sumika would have her name written in the history books. The woman who found a man who became known only the name of his NEXT, Strayed, a Lynx who would go on to become the harbinger of the Closed Plan- a secret operation set forth during the Pax to allow man to reach for the stars, as a member of the terrorist organization, ORCA.

Strayed was feared, and simultaneously revered as a skilled Lynx: an Arms Fort killer, capable of turning mankind's most powerful weapons into nothing more than slag, but he like so many other heroes seemed to have just disappeared from reality. With Anatolia's famed Raven believed dead, many of the Lynx that held power slain, perhaps even by the hand of Strayed, and Strayed himself gone, the powers held completely shifted.

In the years following the felling of the Cradles and the Assault Cells, the radical changes brought to the table by Strayed would play out, as once former allies, the Interior Union and Omer Science Technology turned on one-another. The Interior-Omer war would be the largest war on Earth since the Lynx war, but neither side held a Lynx capable of ending the conflict, while GA America steadily gained power.

With the Cradles that once held humankind in the sky since destroyed, and Assault Cells that prevented anything from entering or leaving the atmosphere gone as well, while many lives end daily due to Kojima exposure, or as a result of the Interior-Omer war, it would seem as if Humanity would yet again wane. However, instead, as people began to cope with living on Earth's polluted surface, the opposite held true. Indeed the sacrifices were great, but humanity would soon rise to prosperity, reaching ever outward... However, what had kept people caged, had also held their enemies out... and by time the rise of the Lynx had occurred no one could remember the horrors that lead there.


	2. Lynx of a certain Caliber, Day 1

**Chapter 1: Lynx of a certain Caliber**

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_Day 1- Mid Afternoon  
Yokohana Colony Training Operations Area_

"NEXT Repentence is closing distance... 1.2 Kilometers till effective range." a female voice said softly, "He's in range, Adler."

"Heh... I won't lose this time, either- it's gonna be two victories in a row, Llad! ...Selene! Let's do this! Let's go Zephiris!" A man said, a narrow smirk on his face, his eyes obscured by his red hair, which was matted down by his helmet.

"So confident, let's see about that, Adler! Neither of us has ever held more than one victory over the other!" a voice cracked over from a speaker in the cockpit of Adler's NEXT. "Repentence won't suffer two losses in a row!"

Adler's NEXT, the navy-blue and chrome-edged, mostly Lahire-based model, Zephiris, fired off its quick-boosters, rapidly moving forward and towards the right, it's boosters realigning themselves towards the left, as Zephiris was set to launch an attack on Llad's Repentence. The ACB-O710 booster extensions on Zephiris's back flared slightly, in conjunction with the twin S04-Virtue main boosters, before loosing a powerful, explosive, second-stage boost, propelling the NEXT straight for Repentence. As the distance closed, the twin LB-Eltanin energy blades on Zephiris's A11-Latona Arm units, flared with their distinctive surging blue plasma, forming a thick, superheated blade, slashing towards Repentence.

"Too late," the woman sitting a rear seat within Zephiris said. Her blue eyes fixed on a monitor of various values and a radar screen, rather than the camera-input display that surrounded the two Lynx. "We missed... Quickly, engage the Overed-boosters, and take cover or Repentence will rip this NEXT to shreds."

As she spoke, the Red, uniquely-built NEXT that Adler was fighting fired a quick-boost of its own, narrowly evading the blade attack, and returning fire with one of its two 063ANAR rifles, its shot missing, flying harmlessly into the water that covered most of the battlefield. Like Zephiris, Repentence had the A11-Latona Arm units, but the similarities stopped there. Repentence's frame was a somewhat intimidating build, made from multiple companies: HD-Hogire, C11-Latona, and LG-Hogire, as well as an array of weapons- this combination made Repentence a formidable foe.

"Llad is every bit as skilled as ever... I'm not sure why Arisawa is having us both carry out these trials against each other..." Adler said, acting on Selene's advice, and activating the KB-Judith Overed-booster that his craft was equipped with, skimming across the water at intense speeds, and then quickly shifting onto land, sliding Zephiris to something of a stop just beyond a hill.

"...After 121 trials you two have carried out against each other, you're at 61 wins, 60 losses... Llad is intent on evening out that score once more." Selene said, "Also, he's approaching. I suspect he's armed his twin HLC-09 ACRUX high-laser cannons."

"I know why Llad wants this particular run. We've always been even... But Arisawa should know our history. Why'd they initiate trials in the first place? Considering Yokohana colony is supposed to be a target for the Algebra group, and they want us to defend the place... wouldn't the idea be to keep the NEXTs damage-free?" Adler said, as the energy and primal armor gauges reached 100% on his HUD, prompting him to re-engage the main boosters of Zephiris, causing it to launch into the air.

"Arisawa's decisions aren't ours to make. They wanted the two independents that they hired to prove themselves in combat trials." Selene said, her eyes panning out across the display, "Energy spike detected. Incoming ACRUX shots. Missile lock confirmed... he's also fired his SM01-SCYLLA shoulder missiles... give priority to evasion!"

Adler took a deep breath, his hands on the two flight sticks that operated Zephiris, quickly triggering his boosts and movements to attempt to evade the incoming attack. However while he evaded one of the laser blasts, the other impacted directly, and the resultant Kojima reaction caused Zephiris to stutter from impact against its own primal armor, allowing the AS missiles to strike in tandem.

"AP down 43%... Zephiris can't take those kinds of hits, Adler!"

"I know, I know...!" Adler gritted his teeth and fired off a series of quick boosts to get into position to strike again. "...One good hit. That's all I need... that's all I can afford. This next move will decide it all, and he's off guard. His back is turned...!" He engaged his overed-boost with his blade charge, but as he did, Repentence quickly turned, both of its ACRUX cannons glowing blue from the charged energy.

Both Adler and Selene cringed. It was already over- and they knew it, and both braced themselves for the trial to come to its sudden end- that it did, in a brilliant flash, all attacks connected, Zephiris's Blades struck Repentence, and the ACRUX shots smashed into Zephiris. A draw it had seemed, but as the smoke cleared, Repentence was still fully operational, and Zephiris wasn't. "Combat Damage Limit Exceeded, System switched to Normal Mode." the voice of Zephiris's on-board computer said.

"Looks like I win, Adler. The score is even once more. I'll see ya when you get back to base." Llad said, as Repentence turned and activated its overed-boost, quickly flying towards the horizon.

"Damn. I can't believe he pulled that one. We almost had a draw there with that move... if this were actual combat; all three of us would be dead. His NEXT has to be critically damaged... wait a second."

"I'd believe so... huh? What is it, Adler?" Selene replied.

"Look there... Is it just me, or is that some kind of facility that got exposed by the stray laser blast earlier?"

Selene nodded, and in response, the camera view of the impact zone zoomed in, revealing the entrance to what appeared to be some kind of hangar that had been buried under the rubble in the half-sunken city. "Well, that's unusual. There are no records of any buildings in this area that should have any facilities of that type. It's either from the early 2000s, or it's something completely new- but I wouldn't know why Arisawa or anyone else would build something like that out here..."

"Arisawa's decisions aren't ours to make, are they Selene?"

"I guess not."

"Either way, I'm checking it out. Who knows what might be in there...?"

"Zephiris is in no condition for combat; remember that... she needs major repairs."

"Don't worry, Selene, I won't be using Zephiris."

"You're going in there on foot?"

"I've got my HL1-Anti MT Rifle. It's not a suicide mission unless I find a 002-B."

"That's what I'm afraid of, Adler... you know I couldn't take it if I lost you."

Zephiris's boosters came to a stop, and the NEXT's chest flipped down, allowing the pilot module to slide out, revealing the two Lynx. Adler, a who stood a bit more than five feet tall, and wore a black and red flight suit, and Selene a woman of similar height to Adler, but was notably different, her eyes were almost unnaturally green, and she had long blonde hair that flowed out of her AMS-capable helmet- she also wore a white and blue flight suit. Adler took off his AMS-helmet, revealing his scruffy red hair and crimson eyes, and opened a container in the pilot module of his NEXT, revealing a medium sized rifle that was of a BFF-make.

"Stay here... I've got my communicator, Selene. If Zephy needs to make any surprise entrances, or we need to get out of here..."

"I know, Adler, but remember, she's busted up pretty bad, and with you not on-board, Primal Armor can't be engaged." Selene spoke, a sharp worry in her voice, "...if there's an active 002-B in there..."

"Do you really think that Rayleonard had one their Relics buried here?"

"No, but..."

"Then don't worry about me." Adler smiled as he used the winch to reach the ground safely, and clicked on the flashlight attached to his rifle and walked into the facility. "It's some kind of military hangar alright... those docking areas are core-sized." he muttered to himself looking over the facility.

There was an anomalous collection of equipment inside the hangar, but all of it was clearly old. A smell of spent oil and still fuel filled the room, overwhelming the distinct smell of laser-burnt metal. Worn paint seemed to be leading towards the entrance, but there was something else splattered across the ground. As Adler panned his flashlight across the unknown substance that was splattered across the room, he quickly realized what it was: blood. Upon that realization, Adler cringed- and as he looked around the hangar, he realized some kind of large battle had occurred here. Tattered clothing, weapons in places that wouldn't make any logical sense, and notable impacts in on the walls. Tapping a button on his headset as he kneeled, he spoke, "Hey, Selene, are you getting this?"

"Yes... what could've happened in there? That's a large amount of blood."

"Well, my first thought is that some twisted bastards blew an elephant up in here, but there's clearly evidence of a battle of some sorts... but for there to be this much blood, it would've had to have been an execution... Hold on. I'm deploying a STK-16-PN Hetsu recon unit. Get me a Kojima report... I'm starting to get worried that there actually IS a 002-B in here," he said, placing a small disc on the ground.

"Data received... small grade Kojima radiation in the area... all you've got is residual Kojima radiation from the atmosphere down there. There isn't a NEXT-grade signature..."

"That's a relief, but it still doesn't explain anything..."

"From the looks of it, Adler, that's some kind of Normal hangar."

"I kinda figured... but judging by this equipment it's fairly old. This may be an AC-0/AC-1 base. Maybe it's where one of Father's purges occurred...Hold on." Adler stopped talking as he raised his light towards a lone docking bay in the rear of the facility, its light on reflecting off distinctly blue metal. "That's definitely a core... It doesn't look like any core I'd know of though."

"...Zephy can't send a determination signal right now... and the area is just too dark. See if you can try to retrieve it."

"I'll try. You may need to get Zephy down here to do some hangar smashing though." Adler said. Looking at the unknown core, it was about the same size as a NEXT or a Normal, but was vastly different. Its body was sheathed in sharp, knife-like steel, but was notably aerodynamic-looking, revealing that whatever it was, it was a fairly fast machine; Adler noted it looked fairly similar to Algebra craft. It had two large boosters on its waist, similar in type to Zephiris's ACB-O701s, but there was no clear main booster on the craft's back besides the two. It had a large head crest, which had orange tinting on it- similar to the orange-tinted diamond and hexagon shaped insets across the craft. Its feet were x-shaped, with four "toes"- unlike many other Cores. It held in its hands two large twin-barreled rifles of some type, and carried on its back two large blades both labeled "TYPE-74-CIWS-2A".

After climbing a ladder leading to the chest area of the unknown craft, which Adler had made a note that it had seemed bent before, he realized the cockpit module of the craft was open. However, there was something else- a tattered body, clearly decomposed, but it showed evidence that something had attempted to, and partially succeeded in eating the man, and whatever it was, it was very large. The most intact portion of the man's body was his right arm, which held some kind of cardkey and identification- splattered with what Adler assumed to be the man's blood, labeled with a name, "Yoshiomaru Hirayama" followed by a type of an identification number and, "Clearance: Eishi, 00R-Takemikazuchi, G1-35". Looking below, he noted that "G1-35" corresponded to a number below the core. "Well, I take this was your core then... Yoshiomaru. I'm sure, now that you're... dead, you won't mind me taking it." Adler said to himself.

Upon sliding the key over a rather obvious start-up mechanism, the machine started a boot-up process, its screen displaying "TSF OS-XM3 Initiating..." in clear English. As the system came fully online, it suddenly displayed an error. "XM3 Input Error. Unable to read data from Fortified Suit. Deploy with New Pilot settings enabled? Pull right trigger to accept and continue with activation. Pull left to attempt data collection again."

"This cockpit... it's virtually identical to a NEXT." Adler said to himself, and then pressed a button on his headset. "Hey, Selene...? You said you weren't picking up any Kojima Signatures..."

"That's correct, Adler."

"It's just... this Core. It's excessively similar to a NEXT. There's no way this thing is a Normal... It can't read my Fortified suit data though, and doesn't appear to have AMS... but I've piloted a Normal before. They're totally different."

"Perhaps... is a prototype... shortly... fore... National Dismantlement War." Selene's connection was breaking up severely.

"Selene, I'm continuing with boot-up on this thing... I'll speak to you once I'm outside," he said, pulling the right control handle's main trigger.

"INPUT RECEIVED. ACTIVATING NEW FILE."

"Heh... it's taking a while for this thing to get going..." Adler muttered to himself as he panned the cockpit, which had, much like the view of a NEXT, had become a view of his surroundings, but suddenly the screens filled with static. There was an alert siren, followed by the display of what had to be recorded footage, depicting large, red creatures attacking people in the hangar as other Cores similar to it tried to fight them off as they left. This footage lasted only a brief second, before the screens returned. "What the hell was that...?" Adler asked himself. "Is this thing haunted by the ghost of its pilot or something?"

"No Orders received. Beginning Take Off Procedure under normal conditions." The screen displayed a message, and several things that Adler was already used to as a Lynx made themselves evident on the screens. It seemed this was a "Strike Vanguard" load out according to the HUD, but Adler didn't care. He moved the two sticks forward and proceeded to attempt to treat the machine as if it was a NEXT, which worked exactly how he thought: The controls were identical.

"Heh. It's just as I thought. This has to be a NEXT or at least the prototype of one." Adler said, as he promptly used the thing to smash its way out of the bloodstained hangar. Panning the camera over to Zephiris, Adler clicked on his communicator. "I got it out. Let's get back to base..."

Selene didn't respond directly. However, a fuzzy sound in Adler's ear revealed that she had received his message, which he confirmed by her closing the pilot-module and starting up Zephiris's boosters.

"Hmm... Takemikazuchi is it...? Let's see what you can do...!" He said as he began having the machine move like he would move Zephiris, which he realized, this core was fast- its speed was on par to Zephiris's, and had similar Quick-boost capabilities, which the system described as "Vector Boosts". Following a weapons test, Adler was capable of determining that Takemikazuchi was very effective core: its Physical Blades were clearly destructive, and similar to Energy Blades in the case that they didn't have ammunition. Its rifles each fired two types of ammunition- and were incredibly powerful. Its sheer destructive capabilities along with the speed it was capable of putting out- the only thing that it was missing was Primal Armor: Selene was right, for all Takemikazuchi's similarities to a NEXT, it did not seem to use any Kojima particles. However, as Adler had the thing fly, he received a warning from the system: "TACTICAL ALTITUDE WARNING! Lower Altitude to below 100m if there is any Laser-Class BETA in the area."

"Laser-Class BETA...? What's that?" Adler thought, before coming to the realization that whomever the builders of this core were fighting probably had some type of long-range EN weapons. Ones that would be dangerous to this core, but that had got him to wonder: considering his fight with Llad earlier- with the maneuverability this core has, it should be viable to evade the fire of any laser weapon simply by exploiting the base charge time that all EN weapons have. Moreover, if this core couldn't, with its maneuverability, nothing could, but that would lead the question of why, if there were such high accuracy EN weapons when this core was made, are they not still in use. Of course, he had no idea what "BETA" meant either, and he simply rationalized it as the name of the enemy organization or company- perhaps "BETA" was a reactionary force, like ORCA, either way, it didn't matter...

_Day 1- Evening hours  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base_

"We're picking up two signatures on the Base Radar... Kojima scan reveals one is NEXT-class. The other is an unknown... No Kojima particles detected." The operator of the base radar said.

"Llad returned earlier. I'd assume the approaching NEXT is Zephiris- it's Adler's craft. No idea on what the unknown is. Get ready to intercept the unknown if Adler is in trouble. We can't lose a Lynx that we spent that much money on just getting here." A ranking official said looking at the radar screen.

"This is Yokohana Base command to Lynx in approaching NEXT, State your Name and intentions." A communications officer signaled to the approaching NEXT. "Failure to comply will result in your elimination."

"This is Selene Sestina. I'm the Secondary Lynx and Operator for Zephiris. Returning to base after completion of live-fire trial."

"Acknowledged, Selene. However, we're picking up an Unknown... appears to be Normal-class. It's on your six. Are you aware of it?"

"Yes. That's Adler in an unknown AC found in a hangar in the training field... something's wrong with his communicator, and the built in communications devices of the unknown AC aren't compatible with any of our equipment."

"Acknowledged, Selene. We'll see you two soon." The communications officer finished "...A hangar in the training field... I've never heard of such a thing."

"...Zephiris and the Unknown entering visual range... you're not gonna believe it. That unknown is truly... Unknown. Let's get a scan out on it...," another man said activating a program on a nearby screen. "There's nothing in the database. Whatever that is, it's either before Father's purges, or it's one of Rayleonard's freaks."

"Perhaps it's a prototype NEXT?"

"Who knows... but it's not like we need information on that after the recent events. Algebra had their territory crushed by meteors. Hell, one of the 'Triple Impacts' occurred there- they'll be coming for us. What we need now are NEXT pilots, not information on a prototype, let alone a prototype with no plans."

"And that's precisely why we're sending Llad and Adler on to a preemptive strike: We've got a bit of information that just so happens to reveal that in 2 hours... we'll know where the NEXT "Prophet" will be." a man who was clearly a commanding officer spoke.

"Prophet... Algebra's top NEXT? Are you serious? You're going to send our two absurdly expensive Independents after that? The one who's killed no less than 5 of our Lynx?"

"Their cost is irrelevant if they die and we don't have to pay them. If they eliminate Lynx Muhammad and his NEXT Prophet, then they've EASILY earned what we're offering..."

_Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base- Hangar 001_

Adler climbed out of the cockpit of the Takemikazuchi, pulling a switch as he did, causing the cockpit module to close up. He took a few glances around the hangar, already he noted, the mechanics were conducting large-scale repairs on Zephiris, replacing its frontal armor for its core piece, and it appeared that they had also repaired Llad's Repentence. He began to climb down a ladder to the ground floor, taking notice of a large, green GA model in one corner of the hangar. "Hmm... Merrygate? May's here?" he muttered to himself as he looked over at the NEXT.

"Hey, Adler, it's about time you showed up!" a familiar male voice called out. "Took your time picking up a shiny toy did you?"

Adler simply replied with a gesture.

"What? Angry that you still can't go 2-0? Or is that thing... you're piloting causing it?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Well... I'd say I've got news, but you're gonna see it as bad."

"What?"

"They're sending us on a mission."

"Finally. Have the combat trials finally gotten thru to them that neither of us are pushovers?"

"...It's tonight. In two hours."

"Two hours?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?"

"No. Apparently they're demanding that we Independents handle this mission to boot- they don't want to risk sending May or that BFF pilot, but it's just the elimination of a single enemy NEXT."

"If it's just a single enemy NEXT, why don't you handle it? I'm tired, and besides you know I can't pilot Zephiris without Selene- and with the way she gets after any combat mission... she'll be down for at least the night. I can't sortie- at least not in Zephy. And the hell if you think I'll try to take on a NEXT in that thing- Takemikazuchi is nothing more than a Normal at best!"

"You've got Redeemer."

"Redeemer isn't good for Anti-NEXT operations...! It's designed for taking on MTs, fixed turrets, fleet combat, and Normals...! It lacks the maneuverability and stopping power to take on a NEXT. Besides, do they take you as someone incompetent? The target is just one NEXT. You've got a record of taking on 3 at once- AND AN ECLIPSE at the same damn time."

"That was in Arathor, and I don't have Arathor at this base- It's being shipped over by GAA's AF Unit right now. Also, this guy is 'too dangerous for a single NEXT'- they won't let me sortie alone. And the pay is just too great to pass up."

"Alright, so what's the pay?"

"1 million COAM for the elimination of the target NEXT and his support Normals."

"1 million for a single NEXT?! That's insane! Who is this guy? Strayed?!"

"If it were Strayed, I wouldn't have accepted the mission... something about that guy just seems to say 'I could take on 5 NEXTs at once and kill them all without breaking a sweat.'... No, this guy is called 'Muhammad' and his NEXT is 'Prophet'."

"The Rank 5? Algebra's Ace?!"

"Yeah. His NEXT, Prophet is a dual-rifle NEXT- it's purely Algebra, save for the thing's Omer-made Overed booster. A company NEXT- something rarely seen now. He's extremely dangerous in one on one, NEXT to NEXT combat: He's running dual Sapla grenade cannons... He's also notable for nearly suicidal tactics involving his Assault Armor."

"Dual Saps... That'll hurt like hell to take a hit from, but it doesn't have much ammo. If we can avoid that, he'll be easy enough..."

"Although, we only get paid if he dies- Muhammad has a nasty tendency to flee from combat when he's outmatched. And not only do we have to eliminate him, we've got to wipe out the Normals who he's escorting- and by time we engage him, it'll be pitch dark. We'll have to rely on long-range flares that Arisawa will fire into the engagement area."

"Sounds more irritating than dangerous... oh what a great day this is turning out to be..."

"I dunno what's up with you, but, perhaps you should go see Selene. She mentioned she wants to talk to you before we head out to fight Muhammad."

"That makes sense... she won't be joining me on this mission."

_Day1 -Sunset_  
_Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base- Lynx Living Quarters_

"Watch where the hell you're going, you damn insignificant-!" a male voice echoed throughout area. Selene poked her head out of the doorway to her small room as footsteps echoed down the corridor, and sure enough, she spotted her red-haired friend walking down the hall towards her after he gave a swift, rude, gesture to a man who had collided with him moments before.

"Adler!" Selene exclaimed, "Must you always be so rude to everyone else?"

"If you're just going to scold me, I'm just going to make sure Redeemer is ready to go." Adler replied his eyes rolling, as he spoke. "..Of course, I'd..."

"No. I want to talk to you first... sorry. Adler, I..." Selene suddenly stopped as she was trying to speak, and her eyes widened as she collapsed, and began to cough heavily.

"Selene!" Adler exclaimed, kneeling down immediately to try to help her. "It's the Kojima, isn't it?"

Selene merely nodded, barely able to keep herself from smashing her face into the floor.

"Damn, I'm sorry. I didn't do my part today... you shouldn't have stressed yourself that much out there."

"No... It's not your fault. It's been too long since..."

"Oh, it's that. I'm sorry Selene..."

"I'll be fine after tonight, Adler. This base can handle it."

"Yes, that's right... GA has come a long way in that technology, and this is Arisawa's largest facility..."

"Also... Adler. I'm scared. I've got a dark feeling ever since this afternoon. Since you found that hangar. Don't die on me, Adler."

"I won't Selene. And tonight's mission is only taking on one NEXT. Llad and me can handle that just fine. Just get things dealt with... and don't forget your rest afterwards. I don't want you to die on me."

Selene cracked a smile, leaning into Adler. "The medical officers will be here within ten minutes..."

"Well then, I'll help you to your bed for now..."

"Thanks..." Selene staggered to her feet, but Adler helped keep her steady until she collapsed again, this time on to her small, white-sheeted bed.

After helping Selene to her bed, Adler turned to leave, and uttered a soft "Goodnight, Selene..." before leaving her room.

"Goodnight, Adler... Don't die out there."

_Day 1- Shortly after Sundown_  
_Operational Airspace: Edge of Richland Agricultural Plant- Algebra Territory_

A female voice cracked over the communicator. "Hello, Lynx. I am Maria Summers; I'll be the Operator for this operation. As you are aware, the target, Prophet will be entering the combat zone momentarily."

"Let's get this over with quickly, shall we, Llad?" Adler said, clicking his NEXT into combat mode, which preemptively armed Redeemer's primary weapons, its massive GAN01-SS-GC Gatling cannon and the integrated Eklakh machine gun arms.

"I know you're in a hurry with this, but please take Prophet a bit more seriously, Adler. He IS the rank 5," Maria spoke up, "I've picked him up and his normal vanguard... wait, only 10 Normals? His force should be significantly larger than that. Something's wrong here. Be careful Lynx."

"Great, what a night to die- damn Arisawa. Sending us straight into an obvious ambush like this." Adler said, "I'm gonna take that bastard out. He might think he's got us in an ambush, but he hasn't seen what kind of Lynx he's up against!"

"Hey, there's no proof of an ambush. Maybe there's just less Normals than the mission command were expecting." Llad said, his Repentence holding its rifles forward.

"Prophet entering the combat zone. Star Shell flares launched from GB-0233. Engage the target on contact!"

"...Today is redemption, men. We have faced the devils and returned to..." a deep, middle-eastern voice crackled over the communicator. "...more awaits us; our path to paradise is yet blocked."

"...Muhammad! GA Lynx ahead!"

"...After what we've just encountered, that's a relief... a good way to die. Unlike those at the facility."

"That's him. Focus on the NEXT, Adler. We'll clear up the Normals once he's done for." Llad said, firing his Overed boost to rapidly enter an effective range on the enemy NEXT, with Adler following the same motion- the roar of the two Overed boosters overwhelming everything.

Upon entering visual range of Prophet and its Normals, there was something notable about it. It was already damaged- sparks flew from some of Prophet's joints, but while it was showing clear signs of damage, something else was visible. Prophet, despite being an Algebra NEXT, had a special color-scheme, as seen during the briefing. It was mostly white, with the Algebra-red as a secondary color. However, seen in person, splashes of a deep red were splattered across the core, almost as if blood had been splattered on the machine. This curious detail was also true of the Prophet's Followers, the Prophet's seventy-two Normal consorts, they were shown to be a combination of SELJQ and SHAHID Algebra Normals, similar to the infamous Bharat squadron, but were also following the Prophet's white and red coloration. In the light of the Star Shells, they too were spotted with dark red.

"That's a creepy paint job you got going on there, Muhammad. You look a bit psycho. It's time someone put you down." Adler yelled as the Redeemer dropped from its overed boost, and began sliding on its quad- DUSKAROR Legs, gliding effortlessly above the grass of the battlefield, and unleashing a torrent of bullets from its machine guns.

"Beware of Prophet's Assault Armor attacks! He's known for dive-bombing enemies with reckless abandon using his Assault Armor, and then finishing them off with blasts from his shoulder cannons- Laliguras." Maria warned Adler.

"It is time, then, for humanity's Jihad." Muhammad uttered as he boosted high into the air, avoiding Adler's rapid-fire attack by making use of his craft's powerful reverse joint leg unit- ones that went hand in hand with the majority of his craft, the Ekhazar model. The NEXT soared, gaining 100 meters of altitude in mere seconds.

"Got you." Llad uttered a single phrase, his twin hi-laser cannons already armed, and as Prophet climbed, Repentence fired from just outside the range of visibility granted by the Star Shell. However, just as the cannons flashed blue, Prophet cut its boosters and fell, landing extremely hard, sending up broken bits of rock and earth.

"...They're still present. The nightmare is not over!" Muhammad uttered a phrase. "It... they... It's un-ending!" His words incoherent and filled with a terror unfitting a Lynx of his caliber. He quickly dodged erratically upon regaining control of his NEXT following impact shock.

"Muhammad! It's just an enemy NEXT! There's no sight of those things we fought earlier!" one of the Normal pilots exclaimed, followed by a cry of anguish as the high-caliber rounds fired from Redeemer's Gatling cannon tore his normal to shreds, ending his life.

"They'll kill... they'll devour... They're infinite! They don't stop...! They...!" Muhammad's insane rant continued, he was notably shaken, firing his weapons at angles that wouldn't hit anything, almost as if he were fighting an unseen enemy.

"Are you seeing this guy? One laser blast and he goes crazy? I've hear Muhammad is a notable coward, but how the hell did this guy make it to Collared Rank 5?" Adler asked, training his weapons on Prophet, following his patterns, while evading fire from Muhammad's psychotic shooting and Normal fire.

"Muhammad! We're not fighting those things! There's two enemy NEXTS. Focus on the fight!" one of the normal pilots yelled into his communicator.

"The commander's totally lost it! He still thinks we're fighting those monsters from the overrun base."

"One laser shot at 100 meters. Yes that was their kill box and weapon, but these guys are Human- they're using NEXTS!"

"I've had enough of your chatter!" Adler yelled, suddenly shifting his arc of fire off of Prophet, and laying down a barrage of bullets into the Normals, and then activating Redeemer's Ogoto grenade cannon, finishing off Prophet's consort Normals with a singular, impressive shot.

"Confirming destruction of all identified Normals in combat zone. That's it from Prophet's Followers. Focus on the enemy NEXT." The operator's voice came over the communicator. Muhammad suddenly charged, firing his quick boosts in an erratic fashion. "Warning, Prophet is behaving strangely. It's likely he's going to use his Assault Armor."

Repentence fired its lasers again, the shots once again missing the erratic NEXT. "This guy, he's crazy, but he's definitely got evasion skills." Llad said, firing his AS missiles towards Prophet.

"They're firing... At this altitude?! We'll... all be devoured!" Muhammad's insane rant finished with a scream, followed by his NEXT boosting past Repentence, and then emitting the tell-tale glow of its Primal Armor being sucked into the overed-booster, the first phase of an Assault Armor attack.

The sky flashed white-green for a moment as a deafening roar of the blast of super-heated Kojima Particles shot away from the NEXT, setting fire to the grass and sending pieces of earth flying at high speeds, but accomplishing nothing: his attack was nowhere near Repentence.

His Assault Armor attack was followed up by another blast: the explosive shell fired from Redeemer slammed into Prophet, crippling the NEXT. This devastating shot was followed by a barrage of bullets from both Redeemer and Repentence, and without the protection afforded by the NEXT's Primal Armor, they easily tore Prophet's armor to shreds and disabled the craft.

"...Ah...I've been shot...? By a bullet? Human weapons?... Ah... this is a good way to die. Better to die like... this... than as food for demons." Muhammad choked out a few final words, as his NEXT collapsed.

"Prophet has gone silent. The Rank 5 is dead. Mission accomplished. No other signatures in the combat zone. Return to base." Maria Summers said, confirming that Muhammad had indeed died and the night operation was over.

"...What was with him?" Llad asked.

"Who knows, better yet, who cares? He's dead. I just want to get back to base, and put this day behind me."

"Hey, we're making sure we get our payment before going to bed. Neither of us took any real damage, and we didn't use that much ammo. One Million COAM... even after splitting that reward, we're still getting a nice pay day."

"One Million COAM for that guy? I somehow feel like we're cheating them out of money. Oh well, that's not our problem."


	3. Lynx of a certain Caliber, Day 2

**Author's Note: **This portion become somewhat graphic at a point. I do not believe that it warrants a rating Increase at this time, however, I'd like to state that Fiction:T is for thirteen year olds or older... ah what am I concerned with. All the thirteen year olds are all off playing Black Ops, not reading fanfiction.

* * *

_****__Lynx of a certain Caliber_

* * *

_**Day 2**- Morning  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base- Lynx Living Quarters_

Adler stepped out of his room and walked into a wide-open room that was surprisingly well furnished for a military base. There were several GA pilots in the room; however, none was an outright Lynx: rather, they were Normal Pilots, and candidates for GA's New-Sunshine program. He ignored them for the moment and let out a long-drawn sigh, uttering under his breath a simple name, "Selene..."

"...I heard Interior lost their Main Arms Fort the other day." one of the New Sunshine pilots said.

"Yeah, I heard they flew the Cloud of Eden straight into an Omer AA field, although Omer claims they didn't shoot down that AF..." Another one said, "But GA didn't get involved, and besides it was taken out by laser fire."

"That makes things easier for us in a way. Omer will try to take advantage of it, now that they know Interior lacks the Cloud."

"But they may instead attack us."

"That wouldn't be smart. We've got a few Lynx here- and Algebra got its top Lynx, the rank 5, killed last night."

"You're right. But Interior has the 'Three Valkyries'..."

"I've hear those three are all amazingly cute women."

"Get your head out of the clouds; they're all far more likely to kill you than make love with you."

"Says you. Once I'm done with training as a NSS, I'm gonna go become an independent."

"If you live that long, and besides, the Valkyries still won't like you... Of course that means you're not going after _my _May Greenfield."

"Ha! That's a laugh! Smiley wouldn't fall for you in a million years... she's way out of your league!"

"But on a serious note, the Cloud of Eden went down due surface laser fire?"

"Omer officially denies involvement with the Cloud's destruction, but apparently, the Cloud flew into a heavy barrage of Laser fire... incredibly accurate blasts seemed to come from everywhere in the area where the Cloud went down. Tore right through the Arms Fort's defenses..."

"But, really, the Cloud of Eden, the Interior Union's, of all things, main Arms Fort got taken out by lasers? You'd think it'd have better anti-laser defenses, considering the Union is the masters of all things EN based."

"It did. Omer fielded several NEXTs against it in the past. It was practically immune to NEXT-grade Laser fire... anything shy of a Procyon Energy cannon isn't going to scratch it... of course, a few hundred Procyons could probably bring it down."

"Well, the Procyon is as of now, almost solely an Omer weapon, despite its former use by the Union... of course, why would Omer deny the kill?"

"Who knows, but their heads are stating that the company had no involvement in the destruction of the Cloud and that they're dealing with 'Internal Problems'..."

"Internal Problems? Internal Problems like those two independents killing of the Rank 5 last night?"

"Maybe. I heard from Maria that the Rank 5 was completely insane."

At that point, Adler thought to himself, "Yes he was," but didn't speak, not wanting to get involved with the conversation being held by the New Sunshine Pilots and sat down on a white cushion and steel-barred couch nearby. "But, seriously? The Cloud of Eden? That massive flying fortress? Shot down, not by NEXTs, not by Strayed having made a sudden reappearance, but by flying into an Anti-Aircraft zone armed with long-range EN cannons? That's a bit farfetched, about the same as that insane Lynx being the Rank 5," he thought, "Yet... where the hell was Selene? She didn't return to her quarters last night after the being picked up by the medical officers, and they wouldn't say she was in the medical facilities either."

"Hey... Is that Adler, I see there?" a cheery female voice asked.

"Oh hey, it's May!" the second, shorter NSS Trainee said, turning to face the green-haired woman who had walked into the room.

"She's here for that independent, not you," the other trainee said slyly.

"Oh hi, May Greenfield..." Adler said his eyes half open as he spoke.

"Adler... you seem awfully tired. Is something wrong?"

"Besides Selene not returning and the Medical Crew not letting me in to see her, no, nothing's wrong."

"Oh, that's right... Selene has Kojima poisoning, doesn't she? That's..."

"Yeah, she's got it real bad..." Adler winced as he spoke. "...ever since that day in Anatolia."

"That's right; you two are from Anatolia, aren't you? You lived through Aretha's attack."

"Please don't remind me of that day, May. I don't need more reasons to know that Omer is full of bastards."

"But you pilot an Omer NEXT... you can't hate them that much?"

"I... we... stole Zephiris." Adler said, his eyes fully shut, remembering the raid on Omer's Arsenal in the middle of the ORCA Rebellion. "Six Lahires and the three prototype Mid-weights... Our little band of thieves took them all. Only the three prototypes and Zephy made out though. Llad... he wiped out the defense force that day. Three of Omer's NEXTs- all company model Lahires, with basic Omer weapons, and aerial Arms Fort Eclipse... but we were ambushed. Five of the stolen ACs destroyed. I nearly lost Selene then... Besides, you're a GA Lynx, why would you be sympathetic to Omer's lackeys? I could see why you'd hate the Union more, after they had Don Colonel killed, but that wouldn't justify you..."

"I... really didn't care for that man."

"Saw him as an obstacle, did you?"

"No. He was just a perverted... forget it." May showed a sign of fierce anger, something oddly off about her carefree self. "Please don't mention Don Colonel again. The only connection between me and him was that we were both New Sunshine Project Lynx."

Footsteps echoed down the hall to the medical facilities, someone was approaching. Adler immediately perked up, and looked in that direction, and catching his eyes was a familiar blonde haired woman wearing a white, form-fitting uniform. "Selene," he called out her.

"Adler!" She replied, a smile cracking on her somber face. She increased her pace, and entered the room with the pilots. "And good morning, May!" she noted May Greenfield standing by Adler. "Were you talking with Adler?"

"Yes." May responded, her face returning quickly to her typical cheery smile.

"And let me guess, he ended up staying up all night since... the operation... took longer than expected," Selene said, her eyes on the tired-looking Adler.

"I guess so." May smiled as she spoke, "He's..."

"That's typical of him."

Selene sat down next to Adler, who promptly had fallen asleep once he knew she was safe. "What were you two talking about anyways?"

"Well, I was going to ask him to accompany me on a deployment. I have orders from the big shots at the HQ to take Richland this afternoon now that Prophet and the Followers are no longer a threat... GA has authorized that I take a support NEXT- or rather, I deploy as a support... I already tried asking Kroitchov, but he's leaving for the Kamchatka region later, so he can't accompany me."

"And this fool kept himself up all night worrying about me."

"It seems that way, so I can't ask him."

"You should see if our standard partner, Llad is up for it. Besides, you and Llad would make a better team than you and Adler. Or Kroitchov for that matter."

"That's what I was thinking as I was talking to Adler... say is it true that you stole Zephiris from Omer?"

"Yes. Of course, it wasn't Zephiris at the time. It was just a standard company Lahire. The Union set us up for the job- said if we could get any NEXTs out of the Omer Noginsk Arsenal, we could keep them as long as the three Mid-weight Sione Prototypes were secured... It was a success, but we lost five of our friends that day- five of the six Lynx who took the extra Lahires during the operation were struck down by an unidentified black NEXT... I almost too was killed, but for some reason, the black NEXT just left the battlefield in the middle of the battle."

"Ah and the rumors of Llad taking on three NEXTs and an Eclipse? Are they true as well?"

"Yes... while Adler was dealing with the Normals and MTs in the Arsenal to escort our transport vehicle, Llad used his NEXT Arathor to wipe out the operational NEXTs and the Arms Fort that was activated to deal with the attack..."

"Well... I suppose then all the rumors I've heard about you are true then... of course, after what I've seen of you, Adler, and Llad on the battlefield, I already knew they were." May smiled, turning away from Selene, "I'm going to go talk to Llad. I don't want to take this mission alone..."

May walked down a different hallway, away from Selene, who turned back to Adler, who was sleeping, his head resting on her shoulder. "I suppose I should get you back to your quarters..."

_Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base- Hangar 001_

Llad turned towards the crew bringing in the large, black and red NEXT. "Be careful! If Arathor ends up getting messed up like Repentence is, or it's gonna be on YOUR bill!"

"Huh? Repentence is damaged?" May's voice seemed to quickly get lost in the noise of the hangar. "That's not good."

"Oh hey May. I didn't know you were here." Llad turned to face where the voice came from, particularly behind him.

"Oh... I just got here, well to this hangar at least. I've been here at this base for a few days now." She replied.

"Yeah, I noticed your NEXT being here. It's right next to the sub-hangars reserved for Repentence and Arathor."

May merely cracked a smile.

"But yeah, Repentence suffered some... interesting damage last night. Seems Prophet's Assault Armor attack blew off my Primal Armor, without the system noticing it. Next thing I know, a stray bullet from either Adler or Prophet strikes the head unit... messes up the thing's Integrated Regulation System and burns out the whole thing's Fractional Regulation System as well. That kind of damage could take days to fix, and considering this is a GA facility, getting replacement Rosenthal parts is somewhat difficult. The only advantage I've got with this is access to the NSS-0022-IR."

"Ah, you're going to use the New Sunshine IR computer? But with a Rosenthal head?"

"That's pretty standard."

"Well, you do have your other NEXT, Arathor, is it?" she asked, motioning to the intimidating looking NEXT that was being hoisted by crane into position.

"Yeah. But Arathor will have to be recalibrated and outfitted for operations in this area. That will take until at least tomorrow, so if there's any offers, I'm stuck without a NEXT for the day so any missions I undertake won't be able to start."

"Well, I see then..."

"Huh? Why do you look so down?"

"Oh, I was looking for a bit of help. Command has given me a mission. They want me to take the Algebra Richland Command Base- you and Adler already dealt with the Rank 5 NEXT in the area, so it shouldn't be a problem for me, the Rank 7, but Merrygate isn't the best craft to go into operations alone with."

"And I can't help you..."

"Neither can Adler. He's asleep."

"He kept himself up all night worrying about Selene didn't he?"

"Yes. He passed out the moment he saw that Selene was fine."

"He's really close to her- since before we met. I wouldn't put that past him."

"It's not a problem. I'll let them be, but I'm kind of in a bind with this. Merrygate is a support NEXT."

"There aren't any NEXTs in the area, and it's not like it's an Arms Fort mission, is it?"

"No. But command wants the first phase of the Richland take-over done by today."

"First phase?"

"I'm just going out to make sure the frontline is secured for the Arms Fort unit to move through. Command is going to get all of Yokohana base in on the second and third phases, but they want to make sure all of the standard defenses are eliminated first. Now that Prophet is dealt with they think it's time to strike and finally take the Richland facility. There shouldn't be anything too dangerous, but they may have Land Crabs out there."

"You'll be fine, May."

"You're probably right. I shouldn't be this worried. It's just, while I'm used to all sorts of missions, I've never had an operation as important before."

"You were involved in the battles for Richland with Strayed, right?"

"Yes."

"Think, May, you've improved since then. You're the Rank 7 now."

"You're right."

"And it's not like they'll have a NEXT, considering we killed Muhammad and his Prophet."

"Thanks, Llad. I think I'll be good. I can handle this. Command did mention it wouldn't be necessary for another NEXT to be deployed anyways. The target is, after all, just Normals- possibly leftovers from the Prophet's Faithful, standard weapons, tanks, MTs, two confirmed GAME-Quasars, and possibly a Land Crab... worst case scenario is that they already have MPAF-Cabracan already on the battlefield... of course, if they do, I'll just retreat before things begin."

"Cabracan. What a nightmare. That Arms Fort is so irritating to deal with."

"And in this terrain, without Adler's Zephiris, or the Giga Base units, we don't have the ability to take it on..."

"Arathor also has the firepower to deal with Cabracan, but, I still can't deploy until Arathor is ready, and by that time, we'll have enough power to deploy three NEXTs. They couldn't stop us even if they had multiple Cabracans out there."

"I just hope that isn't the case now. It's my time to actually accomplish something, I've been with GA for years now, but I haven't done anything worthwhile except be the Test Pilot for the advances in the New Sunshine Program."

"Don't worry about it."

"I won't." May smiled as she turned to walk away, "I can do this without another NEXT helping, turning her head towards her green NEXT, Merrygate, "We can do this."

"Good luck, May." Llad said, turning back towards the crew loading Arathor into its sub-hangar.

_Around Noon  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base Control_

"Are you sure, May? No wingman?" The commander said, "We could delay the operation by a few hours if it's absolutely necessary."

"I'll be fine." May said with a smile on her face, "This mission will be easy."

"You've never deployed into a live combat scenario alone before—all you have on your record are Order Matches, Combat Trials, and support operations. You sure you're ready?"

"Yep. I can do this."

The commander clicked a button, and the pre-recorded mission briefing replayed, "Here's your mission. The client, obviously, is Arisawa Heavy Industries. The objective is the Algebra force occupying the Richland Agricultural Plant. The Algebra force has already been severely reduced by repeated attacks by Arisawa forces, and their primary force, the Rank 5 NEXT, Prophet has been eliminated. As a result, now is the time to seize complete control of the facility. This is a multi-stage plan, so it's not all riding on the shoulders of one Lynx. During the first phase of the mission, the objective is merely to destroy the Normal force and special armaments at the Richland supply base. The supply base is known to have long-range armaments. Approach using a Vanguard Overed Boost Unit and remain at low altitude to avoid fire. Due to circumstances, this may be remnants of the Prophet's Faithful, a dangerous squadron of Normals. In addition, the base remains armed with numerous weapons, you are also tasked with their elimination. These other weapons consists mostly of MTs, namely the standard Mamluk and 044FV450 models. However there are at least two large GAME-Quasar Mobile Fortresses in addition to the large, long-range cannons. It is possible that the enemy Arms Fort units, which consist of GA America model Land Crabs have arrived, if it's merely the Land Crabs, their elimination is considered part of this operation. However, Algebra may have fielded its Large Charging-type Arms Forts, MPAF-Cabracan to reinforce the location. If that is the case, accomplish the normal task, and eliminate the Normals and smaller weapons operating in the area, while avoiding fire from the Cabracan, and escape the battlefield: Do not engage the Arms Fort. Our Arms Fort units and additional NEXTs will handle the large Arms Forts. As this operation is large scale, use of support NEXTs is authorized, but for a Lynx of your caliber, it should not be necessary. We look forward to hearing from you."

"I've heard that once before. I'm not taking a wingman. I and Merrygate can handle this operation just fine."

"Good to hear. As a note, you'll be working with our new Operator, Cristoph. He's a former Lynx, with ties to the two Independents, Adler and Llad, used to pilot the mid-weight NEXT, 'Seven'. His skills as a combat strategist are not to be taken lightly. Several of Adler and Llad's operations against Omer have been decided by his on-site strategies, although his performance as a Lynx is, _notably _subpar. He's new to operating, but his record as a battlefield commander cannot be ignored," the commander also explained.

"It's not Maria Summers today?"

"No, she's aiding in the training of two of our new New Sunshine pilots. Remember May, you're their star- the new pilots look up to you. Do all of us at Global Armaments America proud. Richland is ours- and we'll take it!"

_Mid Afternoon  
Arisawa Base Operations Observation room_

"Humph. So far, so good- They haven't even attempted a shot at her with the long-range cannons." The base commander said, looking at the reports that were displayed on a large screen in the room.

"Those particular cannons are ineffective on anything like a NEXT that isn't flying above 200 or 300 meters, they're significantly inferior to the weapons built by the Bernard and Felix Foundation- and even BFF's best AF-grade weapons proved ineffective against VOB units. They're meant to destroy Arms Forts, not NEXTs," A man, notably tall, and red-haired said, turning from the displays for a moment.

"That's exactly why we had her deploy using a VOB, Cristoph. But even if the cannons are ineffective, unless they've already identified her as the Rank 7 and therefore know of her skill as a Lynx, they should be firing, but they're not."

"VOB unit at 12%, it's nearly time to purge the VOB, May." Cristoph said, looking at the reports. "I think you're right, it is starting to seem strange that they haven't fired. But what's stranger is the reading being displayed from May's Long-range Radar. That's an extremely abnormal cluster of large, ground based objects. They're not matching the Radar cross-section of anything known."

"A new weapon, perhaps? Should we have her abort the mission...? No. This is our only real chance to seize the Richland facility. If they've picked her up, and alerted Omer, Omer will reinforce the facility: we're only afforded this chance because we know Omer is taking advantage of the fact that the Union flew the Cloud of Eden into their AA field and got it destroyed. We can't take the inevitable Cabracan force and multiple NEXTs. Hell, just the Rank 5 was dangerous enough." The commander spoke. "How long till we can get a visual on the unknowns?"

"May, VOB at 6.2% prepare for purge, but mission detail has changed. We're picking up a large number of unknown, Ground-based targets at the facility- the mission will be adaptive based on the scenario... Unknowns coming into visual range in 6...5...4...3...2...1... WHAT THE HELL?!...VOB purging, prepare for combat against whatever that is... the Bio-Sensor is going nuts..."

"Well, what are the Unknowns?" the commander asked.

"Switching main screen, now displaying primary Optics for NEXT Merrygate, the Unknowns are in view." Cristoph said, as the large primary viewing monitor shifted to display a comprehensive view, as seen from Merrygate, which revealed the large, unknown objects that were picked up on Merrygate's Radar earlier. There were notably multiple types of unknowns. The most notable were the large Green-armored, beetle-like ones up front, but other types, such as a white and black crab-like one with what appeared to be a large head, lacking eyes, but having a large mouth, towards its rear and several massive, white, purple, and orange objects mixed in. The unknowns ranged in size, with the beetle and crab like ones approximately the size of a NEXT, with the orange, ten-legged spider-wasp ones easily three times a NEXT's height. There were also numerous red spider-like ones with large mouths, but while they were small in comparison to a NEXT, they were in immense numbers. However, their most notable distinguishing characteristic was the fact that they appeared to be living creatures, rather than any mechanical weapon.

"What the hell? Are those bio weapons? ...by Kisaragi's ghost! What the hell has Omer done?!"

"Cristoph? What do I do? Are these things..?" May Greenfield's voice cracked over the communicator, her fear and shock at appearance of the unknowns was clear in her voice.

"We're thinking here..." Cristoph said, unsure of what his next order would be. "Well commander, do we have her abandon the mission? If we have her engage, we don't know what kind of power those things have. We need to gather intelligence on that enemy. Also as we can view, the target facility is in shambles... wait a second, the unknowns are forming a pattern..." he broke off his question to reactivate his link to the Lynx, "MAY! Watch out! Those things are hostile! They're moving in for an attack!"

On screen, May's NEXT shot into the air, boosting above the charging beetle-like unknown, and she quickly turned, and fired her GAN02-NSS-WR into the target, which cause it to burst in shower of what could only be determined as blood. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, as her NEXT shifted into a slow hover above the swarm of unknowns.

"I have no idea. We've never encountered an enemy like... ENERGY SPIKES DETECTED! EVASIVE MANEUVERS! NOW!" Cristoph exclaimed as his information windows connected to the sensors on board Merrygate flared- the telltale sign of incoming EN attacks. However, his warning came a bit too late. Flashes of several bright, white, laser beams shot into the air, with at least two striking Merrygate as the NEXT dropped in altitude suddenly. "Nine-thousand three-hundred fifty seven... Nine-thousand one hundred thirty two... That's Eighteen thousand four hundred eighty nine... a little over 30% AP gone in two hits. May you can't survive those! Keep your altitude low! You're still... they're firing again... No, it's a second group! May! Lower!"

May successfully dropped in altitude to avoid the second volley of laser fire, but quickly found herself significantly close to the hostile unknowns on the ground.

"Those unknowns... their EN weapons... are they really capable of wiping out 30% of Merrygate's AP in just two hits? That's comparable to the Procyon energy cannon..."

"There also seems to be a large number of firing points from within the group...hold on. I've got an idea. May, fire a volley of missiles after a Assault Armor detonation—get those things, whatever they are away from you. I don't know what kind of things they're capable of when you're on the ground."

May's reply came after a sharp, heavy breath, as she tried to grasp her situation. "Alright, Cristoph..! Activating Kojima Revenge Boost!" The camera caught a view of the small, spider like creatures leaping towards Merrygate, and grabbing on to it, their hands beginning to pry at the armor plating, and their teeth closing down on protrusions from the craft as the NEXT's boosters sucked in its Primal Armor, moments later, the explosive blast of Kojima particles radiated outward, completely obliterating all of the unknowns near Merrygate, not even their blood surviving the all-encompassing blast.

"Are you sure you want her to remain in combat? Without the Kojima output granted by the generator as the craft recovers from that, she won't be able to activate Merrygate's Overed Boost Unit to flee."

"That risk is something we can take. The only way to effectively form a strategy is to gather data. And that's one thing I just have: These unknowns are easily dispatched by Assault Armor, as for the lasers... May, now target the large, multi-legged one moving on your position, treat it to your missiles!" Cristoph said, as he pulled up a small window, set to track the missiles that Merrygate was arming- Merrygate was equipped with the 'WHEELING03' multiple Vertical Launched missile System, which is notable for firing a large barrage of missiles which home in on a target from above, and May was known in her Order Matches for use of that particular weapon, and along with the MUSKINGUM02 relation-missile barrage weapon, which fires a large supply of missiles, allowing her to fire up to 96 missiles at once. A massive amount of ordinance, capable of large area devastation, or completely devastating a single target.

Her NEXT boosted backwards, coming to a gliding stop as she achieved a hard lock on the large Unknown, and fired a full salvo. As the Vertical missiles took flight, however, multiple energy spikes were detected: lasers were firing again, quickly eliminating the missiles as they took off, with each laser locking on as the missiles crossed the hundred meter marker. "Such accuracy... are the enemy's EN weapons really..?" the commander could hardly believe his eyes. "Not even the Union could do this..."

"They- they shot them down!" May exclaimed, her voice shaky. It was notable, the vertical launched missiles had, in fact been shot down, but the fire from her MUSKINGUM02 and her Rifle went by, and the large Unknown collapsed in flames and blood, assumedly dead, its body nothing more than a burning heap; however there were still several others like it in the area.

"I see... Twelve seconds in between individual shots, all at the One-hundred meter marker. May- the enemy's EN weapons... I've, wait... Merrygate's AP is going... May, you're being hit by something? I can't pick it up, but your NEXT is taking large amounts of damage... hold on. Right leg. Critical damage to the Right leg unit... setting secondary… wait, you've got a small unknown latched on to the right leg. It's bitten deep into the unit—you've got use your Quick Boosts..! Get that thing off..!"

"Al-alright!" May boosted sideways, and shards of metal from the NEXT tore off, impaling the red creature as it slid onto the ground, where it was impacted by the left leg of the NEXT, smashing it into a splotch of blood.

"You've got the large, beetle like ones closing in! They're not that fast, although at that size... Their speed seems to be right around one-hundred seventy kilometers per hour, and it doesn't seem they can turn very easily, but I'd have reason to be wary of them hitting you. At that size, they might be able to do some decent damage, unless your Primal Armor can react to it... of course, then again... thirteen seconds until KP output is fully restored. Eighteen until Primal Armor is rectified... Twenty Six until full rectification May, I don't think in this current state you can fight this enemy. Once your Primal Armor has recharged blast your way out, and... Full Overed Boost. Get out of there as soon as you can. This is simply too much for a single NEXT. Well over Thirty thousand signatures on radar at this point."

"Thirty thousand? That's insane!" The base commander exclaimed staring at the enemy number figure displayed below the radar display. "What kind of monsters are these? How can there be so many..?"

"Ah-alright... I'll get out of here..." May's voice had turned from her normal, cheer confident tone to nothing more than a fear-filled echo against this unknown enemy. She had seen some of the fiercest human armies and fought side by side with Strayed when Torus unleashed the Sol Dios Orbit, one of the most powerful Mass-produced Arms Forts without the slightest dip in confidence as a Lynx, and never did it touch her cheery persona. However, in the light of this inhuman onslaught, she was already crushed. She tried her best to remain calm and in control, keeping her NEXT moving, but watching as her ammo reserves fell faster than her numerous enemies did. She dodged the large, charging enemies with ease, returning fire with her Rifle and Bazooka, killing as many as she could, trying to find her way out of the sea of enemies.

"Keep your altitude below one-hundred meters! It seems the lasers will not target you below that range..." Cristoph said to May, his face as shaken and surprised as any others'. "Four seconds until KP output has stabilized. Only Seventeen until full rectification..! You've got red ones on you! Quick-boost! Now! AP falling quickly... those things are simply tearing through your NEXT's armor-! You've got focus, avoid the red ones! The larger unknowns are less damag-..." as he was speaking, the camera caught sight of a large, crab like unknown raise its massive black claw and swing it wildly, colliding it with the frame of Merrygate, sending pieces of broken metal flying thru the air. "That... I spoke too soon! AP down Sixty-Seven percent! That was like the hit from a Dozar Parrying blade!"

"Waah!" May Greenfield screamed as her NEXT stuttered from the impact, her instincts driving her to quick-boost to rotate what had struck her into view, firing her rifle as an automatic response, which to her horror, the enemy blocked her shots with its claws- only sustaining mild injuries from the rounds.

"It can block attacks from the front! Hit it from it's... no, May, just run! Get. Out. Of. There." Cristoph's tone had changed, he was no longer the cold-sounding strategist, rather a strange, directed anger seemed to coat his words, but the way he spoke, it seemed as if he was angry at himself. His eyes quivered on the reflection in a blackened monitor. "...full rectification in 6 seconds. AP down... Seventy percent. Come on May... you can't die out there..! 3 seconds... ENGAGE YOUR OVERED BOOST! GET OUT!"

The control room had gone completely silent. Everyone in the room held their breath as May activated her Overed Boosters. Silence out of a mixture of emotions: fear, hope, and more than anything else, anxiety. A white glow over took the main monitor as radiant Kojima particles ignited within the boosters on Merrygate's back. The plume of Kojima-empowered boost roared to life. Silence was broken... as the warning lights on Cristoph's screen popped up. A warning alarm rang. 'Overed Boost Malfunction'. Hope was lost.

"O-overed boost malfunction!?" May cried. "I'm... trapped?!"

"...Damage from the red unknowns caused severe damage to the Overed boost unit. I'm sorry May. You're going to have to fight your way out... cut a path towards the Southeast from your position... The Unknowns thin out in that direction. The base is now on high alert. Emergency Deployment orders for NEXTs Arathor and Zephiris are being issued. Both are already being armed with Vanguard Overed Boost Units. It will take about an hour for the NEXTs to be ready for a rescue operation... you'll make it back to us."

"Cristoph... it'll take significantly longer than an hour to get both of those NEXTs to her location. The Lynx haven't even been notified... and it's more than that- how can we be sure that those Independents will even accept the mission detail?"

"What else am I supposed to tell her? That we're giving up, and letting her die to those things?! As for those two, their only question to accepting this mission would be 'Why weren't we there faster?!'"

The rest of the staff didn't make a sound, save for one guard at the door, "I could act as courier- I know the layout of this base extremely well, I can go notify Adler, Selene, and Llad immediately. It wouldn't take but a few moments tops."

"No. We only get Adler and Llad involved if we're sure she's in need of rescue. We don't want them arriving into that area with her dead. That will only serve to get them killed, and if she can completely break thru the Unknowns that have cut her off from behind, Merrygate can escape the area without its Overed Boost, which means deployment isn't necessary." Cristoph said, turning from his monitors. "May, you hear me..? Backup is on the way. Just go..! Get clear of-! Watch out, about One point Three Kilometers ahead... It's one of the extremely large ones! Steer clear! You can't fight it in that condition."

All that Cristoph got on as a reply was May's heavy breathing. This enemy was unlike anyone had seen before, but there was something else about it that clearly scared her... It was then when Cristoph noticed it. There were several small, red unknowns on her craft. They had launched up out of the swarming mass of unknowns that she was tearing thru and latched themselves on to her craft.

"Main Booster Malfunction." Not the words Cristoph wanted to see as an error message at that moment. Merrygate's AP had been reduced to practically nothing in moments. It would only be moments before the complete structural system of the NEXT is compromised, and once that occurred, the System would shut down, switching to CLSM or Combat-type Life Support Mode, where the NEXT won't even move, only maintaining its primal armor to prevent further damage from NEXT grade weapons as an effort to save the life of its Lynx. However this kind of damage could yield to certain other failures, such AMS feedback, which is a very painful way for a pilot to die as the primary current flows backwards the Allegorical Manipulation System and chars the pilot's brain, as well as the connection points in the Lynx's Fortified suit. "May... Quick Boost... Assault Armor... something. Don't let them take down Merrygate..." Cristoph's words were stuttered by tears.

"Merrygate has ceased function. NEXT shifting to life support mode. PA Rectification at Thirty-Eight-Point-Three-Six-Eight Percent."

"MAY!" Cristoph yelled. "Dammit!"

The cameras shifted to the inside of Merrygate. May Greenfield was breathing heavily, but still alive. "Sorry... I didn't make it far enough... so Adler and Llad are coming to get me?"

Cristoph hesitated to speak. He shook his head as he looked at the long-range radar, the unknowns continued to move on Merrygate's position. His hands clenched tightly as he spoke, "Y-yes. Both NEXTs have already left the base... Their Vanguard Overed Boost Units have engaged high-thrust phase... they're closing on your position at approximately Twenty-three-thousand Kilometers per Hour... it won't take them long at all. The Hour figure I gave you was far higher than the actual response time... they're going to be there soon, May. We've already calculated a battle plan to get you out of there—we're contacting BFF main Arms Fort, Risen Spirit of Motherwill, its extremely long range cannons should be able to strike the area to your north... this should start clearing out the unknowns and..." Cristoph's words were dry lies, but he seemed to speak with a strange sincerity in his voice, but even so was cut off by the sound of the impact of one of the large beetle-like unknowns crashing into the disabled NEXT, knocking it over as it collided.

"PA Rectification Error. Rectifiers Disabled. Right Arm unit: Terminal Damage. Shoulder unit: Terminal Damage. MARIA-02 Wide Angle Search Radar: Terminal Damage. Pilot Status: Severe Injuries to right side of body. Broken right arm. Legs crippled." A list of errors and issues flashed up on Cristoph's screens. "Recalibrating Live Feed to Pilot."

"May... I'm sorry." Cristoph could hardly speak. His eyes caught a view of one of Merrygate's sensors: There was a large number of the red unknowns clawing or biting the craft, and a fair majority were centered on the core unit, ripping away the armor that kept them away from May, who lie crippled but alive in the cockpit within the center of the New Sunshine.

No one in the command facility could say anything as the internal camera panned across her face, a familiar one but horrifically different. Blood ran down her face, mixed with tears, her eyes shimmering as she cried softly in pain. But almost everyone in room had a nearly unified look on their face, an apologetic mix of sadness for the inevitable loss, combined with a look of sheer horror. It was then that everyone knew, the Rank Seven, the cheerful Lynx, May Greenfield, was lost.

"...Dammit, I can't watch this," The guard who had moments ago offered to go give information to Adler and Llad said, turning to face the door. "...I just can't watch her die. Not like this. Not to those things... whatever the hell they are."

"You are then dismissed." The base commander's words quivered but were filled with a resolve.

"Sir, thank you, sir!" The guard promptly opened the door, his footsteps as he swiftly waked down to the elevator melding strangely with sharp sound of tearing metal played from the monitors.

"May... don't think we, that I've abandoned you..." Cristoph said, but was cut short- a flash of light shot across the monitor- the unknowns had breached Merrygate's cockpit module.

May screamed in horror as the hands of the red unknowns reached down and grabbed hold of her, the cameras centering on her as it violently ripped her from the cockpit module, the cracking of May's bones audible from the sound feedback from the cameras.

"Kill. The. Feeds." One of the technicians in the room said, breathing heavily, covering his eyes.

May screamed in pain. It became apparent that one of the red creatures had bitten her left leg, and more of them were descending upon her. Her cries of pain continued as the creatures continued to tear apart and devour her- she wasn't dead even at that point.

"KILL THE FEEDS!" The technician cried. "KILL THEM NOW!"

A last, loud scream was heard, gargled by blood- the unknowns had torn her into pieces- and nearly completely devoured her, the video capturing sight of her blood falling back into the cockpit as the creatures consumed her.

"Kill...the..."

"Cristoph, terminate the audio-visual link to Merrygate. Lynx May Greenfield is officially deemed KIA." The base commander spoke up. "Mission has failed... Everyone present is dismissed..._including me._"

The screens went black. The only sound was the constant hum of the base's computers running, a strange, yet familiar, droning that filled the somber atmosphere.

_Late Afternoon, Early Evening  
Arisawa Base- Main Facility_

Adler walked down the hall, towards the command room, certain at that point that May Greenfield must have succeeded on her mission, despite the fact that little activity was occurring on the base grounds. The several Arms Fort Giga Bases were being outfitted for operations, but other than that, no notification for NEXT deployment.

"Taking Richland is why I'm here. It's going to be a major operation; I'd think they would want me to be fully briefed before deployment... Why..?" He muttered to himself. "I just don't get this silence. Yes, I ended up sleeping for a good portion of the day, but that's no reason to not..." He cut himself off, when a quivering command officer walked into him by accident.

"Ah!" The man jumped at the collision, clearly spooked by something. He began to breathe heavily after somewhat regaining his composure.

"What's _your_ problem..? Watch where hell you're going..!" Adler promptly, and typically, rudely scolded the man.

"...How can you... you! You should've saved her..!" The man's words didn't make much sense to Adler, but he was clearly directing some kind of direct anger at him.

"Her? What the hell are you talking about? I didn't receive ANY missions today. My only missions since arriving at this base have been 'Go fight Llad' and 'Go Kill Muhammad.' I certainly... The only 'her' coming to my mind would be Selene, who's perfectly fine."

"They... they _ate_ her..! And you! You weren't there! You..! You dare return without her!?"

Adler's normally unfriendly look shifted to a burst of anger, which he directed straight at the incoherent man who was yelling at him, by applying his fist to the man's face. "Just what the hell are you talking about?! Of course I wasn't there! I don't fight non-existent cannibals! I haven't left the base at all today... you know, you're really starting to sound a LOT like that crazy old mad man me and Llad put down last night."

"May... May..! Why'd you have to die, May!?" The man cried, as he shook, collapsed after Adler had punched him.

"Wait... May? May Greenfield? Don't tell me... she failed?"

"...It was so horrible... she-she... those..._things!_ They tore open... Merrygate... They ate her alive!" The man shook as he spoke.

"What on this poisoned world do you mean, 'they ate her alive'? Last I knew she was only going to clear some Normals and Long-range cannons from an Algebra Base that lost its NEXT. What kind drugs are you on?"

"O-omer... they... new... Bio...weapon... Red Spiders with giant mouths. Thousands of them... They... devoured her..."

"...a Bioweapon? Why would anyone create something...? That's preposterous. You should go the psych-ward because, you're clearly insane. You might also want to get checked for Kojima Poisoning, because I think something is corroding your brain." Adler left the man, after coming to the conclusion that he must be insane. "Although... 'Red spiders with giant mouths'... that mysterious hangar... No, it couldn't be." It was then that Adler spotted Llad, walking towards him, his head held low. Something was bothering him. "Llad?"

"..Adler. We should've been there with her." Llad shook his head. "No, she shouldn't have gone at all."

"So... it's true then. May is dead?"

"Yes... Also, 'Raptor' is here... he's got the details. And a message for us."

"Really? Are we going to have to be saving him from stupid situations _AGAIN_?"

"No, not this time—well, unless we're saving an Arms Fort or this base from stupid situations, but after what happened to May… There's been no sight of that obnoxiously colored Midweight. He's not here as a Lynx. He's Operator now."

"Well, that's good to know. Operating may just be his deal. I mean, his strategies are great, but when it comes down to piloting, he's not..." Adler said, "And speaking of May, what _did_ happen to her? A clearly _disturbed _man said she was _eaten_ of all things."

Llad merely stared in silence.

"You... you're not _serious_ are you?"

"Cristoph is in the control room still. He's a bit catatonic and depressed... believe me, I would be too. Actually after seeing it, I think I _am. _He did make a point though, I saw you, and you knew or found out... don't go trying to exact revenge. There's more to forming a strategy than send a NEXT with whatever it is that those things are."

"Things?"

"... The command staff believes them to be a new Omer Bioweapon. It's possibly out of control, and may have been responsible for the destruction of the Algebra Richland Main Facility."

"So Prophet's rants of demons...?"

"Possibly. The most notable link is that when I fired on Prophet for the first time in that engagement, I used an EN weapon that fired when he hit about one hundred meters. Cristoph mentioned something about high-accuracy lasers, as strong as the Procyon- there's several groups of them in the swarm. They didn't fire until the one hundred meter mark- and the lasers were not firing if it would strike another one of them."

"Just how many were there when May died?"

"At least Thirty Thousand."

"And that notably cautious tactician let May deploy without back up against that?!"

"No one even knew that they were going to be there until she was already deep in their ranks. Due to the long-range cannons at that base, the plan involved her using a Vanguard Overed Boost unit to get in close to the base. The thing purged and dropped her right into the mess."

"Unforeseeable circumstances... why wasn't a retreat order issued immediately?"

"That... I'm not really sure, and that seems to be Cristoph's biggest regret... dammit. If only Arathor was ready... I at least should've been there. I... I..." tears formed in Llad's eyes. "I told her this morning that she'd be fine deploying by herself. That she shouldn't decline and wait for support NEXTs... I feel so..." he punched the wall. "Dammit! May would still be alive if I was there with her!"

Adler merely shook his head. "...I should've been there too." He spoke somberly, "I'm going up to speak with Raptor—Cristoph."

_Late Afternoon, Early Evening  
Arisawa Base Operations Observation room_

"Dammit! May! ...I let you down..! I'm supposed to be an operator... a strategist that can turn the tide in a battle... and yet...! I should've..." Cristoph cried as he looked at the blackened monitors. "You never should've engaged... the moment we saw those unknowns... I should have given a retreat order..."

"Raptor... Cristoph." Adler said, "I want to know what happened to May. I've heard she was killed in action today."

Cristoph didn't make and acknowledging comment, merely stating, "It was my fault. I failed her."

"From what I understand, the standard operation was estimated at a nearly one hundred percent chance of victory. What happened?"

"... Unknowns. Biological Unknowns."

"What do you mean?"

"I... can't explain them. They're on the footage from Merrygate. You can watch it on your own time. I'm not watching that again. All I know is that there are several types, all of them capable of dealing significant damage to even a NEXT. The command staff thinks they're a new Omer weapon, built off the dead corporation Kisaragi's research, and that it's out of control. And while the Assault Armor from a NEXT killed the ones it collided with, they didn't suffer immediate effects from Koijima particles…"

"High accuracy lasers? Red spiders?"

"The lasers were something I couldn't get a visual on. They were well hidden by the rest of them, but there lots of them. Each individual could fire at a rate of one shot per twelve seconds, and could hit with accuracy that hasn't been seen in an EN weapon...ever. As for the impact from them? It's about the same as a Procyon Energy cannon- no actual impact force, but it can easily put a hole in a critical component of a NEXT, temperature related EN damage from two shots took thirty percent of Merrygate's Armor. As far as the 'Red Spiders' go, they're almost a mix of a spider and a crab, with a semi-humanoid body. They have giant mouths on their chest, behind their human-like arms... from what's displayed; they could eat through just about anything. NEXT grade armor was nothing to them. None of them are all that fast though... ultimately it was the spider things that killed May... they..." Cristoph couldn't bring himself to finish.

"They ate her?"

"Just watch the damn feeds... somewhere else."

"Ok, ok..."

"And, no matter what you may think, don't think you can take those things. We don't have any idea as how to fight them, going off and seeking revenge for May will only get you killed..."

_Nighttime  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base- Lynx Living Quarters_

Adler couldn't believe it, and yet at the same time, he had a strange familiarity with the enemy that May faced. Almost as if he had seen them before, but couldn't quite place it. He started to think aloud as he laid there on his generic bed, the recordings of the feeds from May's sortie on a loop, playing in the background, and already etched into his head. "So... those unknowns... eat people? If that's what... Muhammad meant... It wasn't a paint scheme on his NEXT or the enemy Normals last night... it was those... things' blood. He had fought them as they overwhelmed that base, and escaped. It must have been his use of Assault Armor, and the Sapla Grenade Cannons that saved him and those ten Normals... That's why he never fired the Sapla. He had no ammo." He said, translating his thoughts into words, "But where have I seen those things... I know I've seen the red things before."

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. "Umm... Adler?" Selene's voice carried into the room. "Are you in here?"

"Yes, Selene. Come in... I really could use a talk with you right now."

Selene walked into the room, closing the door slowly behind her, and sitting down on Adler's bed. "I heard about what happened to May... I also heard you're upset."

"May was a friend to us all- even as Independents, I've always felt a kinship to May... and now she's gone. And worse, the way she died..."

"I'm sorry. If I had just been back in time last night..."

"Don't blame yourself Selene; it was my fault I stayed up worried."

"But..."

"And anyways, I think after watching the feed... Cristoph is right. Zephiris can't handle them..."

"I know how you feel."

"Yes, it's Anatolia all over again... I feel so powerless... is there anything that could've been done?! Is there anything we can do?!" tears flowed from Adler's eyes. "...damn it all."

"I'm sorry, Adler...!" Selene wrapped her arms around Adler as he cried, "I..." before beginning to cry herself. "But... for something that's not as depressing, they completed the operation. I shouldn't have any more 'episodes' for at least another six weeks." She tried to smile, but was still overwhelmed by a piercing sadness. The news of May Greenfield's death at this point had overtaken the base, and it seemed like without "Smiley", everyone was completely heartbroken. But surging more than any other emotion, amidst the sadness, was an overwhelming desire for revenge. To kill the unknowns that had taken May's life...

"I'm going back to my room, Adler..." Selene said, releasing her embrace and wiping away her tears. "It's time for bed... I'll see you in the morning. I'm sure we'll be able to accomplish... something."

"You're right. We're Lynx, we're not going to let some unknown biological weapon have us roll over and die. We'll show them...!" Adler gained a smirk across his face as he stood up to walk with Selene back to her room to say goodnight to her. When he returned to his room, however, he noticed something lying on the floor: The card-key and identification that used to belong to Yosihomaru Hirayama. Looking at the slightly blood-stained card, as he picked it up a thought clicked in his head. "It couldn't have been... is this—are these unknowns, the BETA? Takemikazuchi... what was it that you fought? What secrets do you hold?"

* * *

**Author's Note 2:** Geez, I felt terrible writing that. May, I'm so sorry!


	4. Lynx of a certain Caliber, Day 3

_Lynx of a certain Caliber_

* * *

_Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base- Hangar 001_

A blaring siren rang, as the roar of the boosters of Arathor overtook everything- the NEXT boosting out of the hangar, already engaging in combat as it took off. "Code 991"- Attack by unknown enemies. The most feared warning any pilot: Lynx Raven, or otherwise had to know. The warning was simple, the battlefield, wherever it may be was under attack by an enemy that which no one had any real information on. Adler turned back, grabbing Selene by the arm as she stumbled, preventing her from falling. She wasn't strong or graceful- her stamina was also subpar and she had to run from her room to the hangar in a matter of minutes.

"How the hell did we not see them coming?!" Adler exclaimed; his eyes panning out of the hangar as the blast doors shut once more. Outside had become a veritable hellscape- many areas of the base were aflame and the unknown biological enemies were fighting with the Normal units outside. Llad had successfully taken off, and Adler was also called upon- but he had not even boarded Zephiris yet. "All the detection equipment at this base, and we didn't know the Unknowns would hit us? What the hell were they thinking?!"

"It was an underground attack. Those things... They came from underground. They... came up right by the base." A soldier said, as he boarded his GA03-Solarwind Normal Unit. "I'll launch once you get Zephiris-" The Normal Pilot's words were rendered inaudible as a massive crash was heard from outside. The hangar was under direct attack- the unknowns wanted in.

"Adler...! Let's get moving...!" Selene exclaimed as she turned towards the navy-colored NEXT and briskly moved down the catwalk to its cockpit entry. "They need Zephy out there...!"

"Selene, I know...!" Adler said, following her. However, another crash, and everything shook- the blast door crumpled as one of the charging, green beetle-like unknowns smashed it open. Adler cringed. "They're..." He then took notice: the shaking had knocked Selene to the ground, and she had bashed her head against a guardrail, cutting her hands as well as she fell onto the jagged surface of the catwalk. Blood from her multiple injuries dripped down on to the floor below. "SELENE!" he exclaimed running to her. However, he took notice of something slightly more menacing than her crashing into the guardrail. A red unknown had taken sight of her, while the two Normal units still in the hangar, the Solarwind and the AW05-Zengame, were focusing on the beetle-like Unknown. It leapt straight at her as she stumbled to her feet, her right hand holding her head, which was covered in blood. Adler cringed, as he swung his HL1-Anti MT Rifle around and pulled the trigger, firing several .95 caliber armor-piercing explosive rounds at the creature, which caused it to explode in a splash of blood, however, there were several more of them entering the hangar.

"Adler...! Thank you...!" Selene wobbled, terrified. "Let's... Let's get going...!" She said as she opened the cockpit module of the NEXT. A brilliant green flash of an Assault Armor activation flooded the skies, illuminating the hangar as she did.

"Yes... but... you..." Adler said his primary concern not for the base, or the battle, but for Selene. "Of course, there are medical supplies in Zephy..." He said, as he helped her get into her part of the dual-pilot cockpit of the NEXT, and killing another red unknown that was climbing up the side of the Solarwind with his rifle before activating the closing sequence.

"Adler..." Selene said softly, before cringing as she connected to the NEXT's AMS. "NEXT Zephiris activating... Twelve seconds until she's ready to go."

"Hey, Normal Pilots...! Keep those unknowns off Zephy!" Adler called out, but it was useless. The two Normals had fallen, and the red unknowns, which were tearing away at their armor, were swarming them.

"Hey... Adler, where the heck are you? We really need backup out here!" Llad's voice came over the communicator.

"I'm on my way- but it's still a few seconds until she's ready...!" Adler replied. "Focus fire on the unknowns at the hangar...!"

"Three seconds remain. Primal Armor rectification beginning. Boosters on...! Launch procedure going normally... Adler...! Your AMS link is below fifty percent...! Get your mind on the task... Stop worrying so much about me. I'll be fine." Selene said, as the full display of the NEXT's sensors connected via slave optics, followed by the NEXT's standard HUD, which displayed several values. "AP at thirty-one-thousand, one-hundred forty-eight. Good. The unknowns didn't damage Zephiris during her start up... although PA won't be fully rectified for another ten seconds."

"Alright...! Our objective is the elimination of the unknowns at the Yokohana Colony… Starting here!" Adler said, as he turned towards the beetle-like unknown, and fired the right-hand blade directly at it, stabbing the creature's softer backside, causing a splash of blood to spray from it, vaporizing as it approached the super-heated plasma emanating from the arrow-shaped weapon on the wrists of the NEXT. Afterwards, Zephiris turned out of the hangar, and fired its boosters, rapidly entering the battle.

"Remember Adler, keep Zephy low. If they have any laser-class, we'll be fried. One Hundred Meters... only slightly higher than the tallest building here at this base."

"I know. I memorized the data we gathered from when May was killed. I won't fall victim to Omer's bio-weapon's Anti Air fire."

"...Target Unknowns: large type... we should focus on them. The Normals will have trouble with the defenses they have, and our blades can rip their legs off. Just watch out for that stinger. We don't quite have any details on the largest of the Unknowns yet."

"Right...!" Adler exclaimed as he fired his quick boosts toward a marked red target on his Radar. "It falls on us to destroy the largest of foes, no matter which mission we undertake. Be them these unknowns... or during a fight when a Arms Fort is involved..." he said, as he closed in on the massive chitinous creature, which seemed to stare at Zephiris as it approached, raising its leg, almost as if it was taking an attempt at skewering the NEXT, but it was far too slow. Zephiris's blades activated, slashing rapidly as the NEXT rotated, slicing the creature into bits with ease. A shower of blood rained down from it as it crumpled, drenching the surface of Zephiris.

"There's several others. They're all marked and displayed on your radar, Adler." Selene spoke quickly; her eyes straining as she quickly overlooked the inflow of data from Zephiris's sensors.

"Gotcha." Adler said, as he had Zephiris fire its boosters, floating out a few feet off the ground, sometimes even scraping its super-carbon feet across the ground in a shower of sparks, smashing a few red unknowns into bloody messes as it did. "Hey, Omer, I'm gonna kill every single one of your Bio-weapons...!"

"Enemy detected...! Watch out, it's...!" Selene cringed as a NEXT-sized white, crab-like unknown swung its claw down at Zephiris. However, Adler reacted swiftly, avoiding the claw- it's force absorbed by Zephiris's Primal Armor. "Primal Armor at 33% effectiveness, but no damage taken... you did well with that dodge, Adler."

"Thanks, Selene. I'll try to avoid the situation, but there's more dodging like that where that one came from." Adler chuckled as Zephiris's blades sliced thru the body of the unknown. "Hey, there's one of the green, charging ones."

"Target locked. It's weak from behind...!" Selene said, as Zephiris charged, the additional boosters flaring up as the NEXT charged at excessive speeds, its right blade glowing blue. The superheated plasma began to slice thru the unknown's shell, as Zephiris swung around. It executed a full, abrupt, quick boost assisted reversal, and immediately fired its left blade, creating a beautiful, if deadly spiral of superheated plasma around the NEXT. The beetle like unknown collapsed, blood pooling around were it fell. "There are a lot more basic enemies out there. There are plenty of targets to kill, Adler...! We should be focusing on the large ones. The Normal Units and MTs can eliminate the smaller ones...! There's one about a fifth of a kilometer to the east… that's just on the other side of that building there."

"Right...!" Adler said, as he caught sight of the target's head lurking over the side of the building. "But to hit it like that… we're going to have to strike from directly underneath it."

"That may not be the smartest idea, Adler. We have no idea how it may react."

"It's the only option we have. With any luck, we'll kill it in one blow, before it can do anything with that stinger." Adler looked over his shoulder at Selene, whose eyes were nearly blank, not reflecting any emotion. She was fully absorbed by the mission- her mind having become one with Zephiris's.

"If it's a risky maneuver or not, if you don't keep your mind on the battle, any move you make might be the wrong one. I'm— I'll be fine. Do not worry about me, Adler, I know you care, and I appreciate it, but..."

"Alright. Selene... The target's in range... here goes nothing." Adler said, as he had Zephiris leap into the air, gaining a few meters in altitude, as he approached the rear of the target large unknown. "The target is the stinger itself...! It's like a big, ten legged bee... I'm gonna sever the thing's stinger!" Zephiris's left blade lit up, glowing blue, as the NEXT slashed thru the thing's body, dropping the lower part, which contained the stinger to the ground. "Like I said, I fully plan on killing...!" Adler said, as he had Zephiris touchdown and fire another quick turn, placing the horrifically wounded creature back in Zephiris's attack path, and boosting straight at it, crossing the NEXT's blades in a direct attack, decapitating the thing "...It!"

Suddenly, Adler heard the thunderous roar of the main cannons of the three AF Giga Bases firing simultaneously. "Giga Base fire? Are they crazy? The Unknowns are in the base already! What are they trying to do? Burn our own base to the ground?!"

"No, they're targeting something else...Enemy Reinforcements inbound. I've got a Kojima reading... It's a NEXT... NEXT identified... it's a TYPE-SIONE... other than that, I can't tell."

"TYPE-SIONE?! That can't be..!" Adler exclaimed as he saw the approaching NEXT purge its Vanguard Overed Boost. It was a black NEXT and it looked as though it were a larger, bulkier, TYPE-Lahire. It's head unit had a peculiar wing-like feature to it, that had additional "eyes" along the side, while it, itself was mostly rounded. Six sensor eyes were present. It had a wing-like structure on its back, similar to the AALIYAH, but it was distinctly shaped, and it seemed different from any other core. The weapons of the black TYPE-Sione were standard however: Omer's ER-O705 Energy Cannon on its right arm, a Rayleonard Moonlight energy blade on its left. Dearborn03 VTF missile launchers and a Ogoto grenade cannon on the craft's back. Its shoulders appeared to be equipped with something unique: and Adler couldn't make it out at this distance. It's emblem was peculiar- A cross-armed woman holding two swords with a peculiar, winged headpiece. Nothing in Collared's database matched it.

"It- It really is… that NEXT… from that day…! The Black TYPE-Sione!... An Enemy Irregluar."

"...Omer. Those sick, twisted bastards. Unleashing those monsters... Doesn't matter. Ta... reinforce them. Target the two enemy NEXTs." a sharp female voice was heard over the communicator. "Target the mid-weight- Arathor. Force him to climb... arm the grenade cannon."

"That voice...! That's... No. It's not... It can't be...! That's..."

"Enemy Operator confirmed. It's Sumika. The enemy is..."

"It's Strayed."

"Llad...! Watch out. Enemy NEXT confirmed...! It's the Ex-Rank 1...! Strayed!"

"Wait...! They're not targeting Llad...! We've got trouble!"

"We'll turn this on them...!" Adler exclaimed as he proceeded to lock onto a black NEXT, the six sensor eyes on its head glowing a deep blue, as it fired several blasts from a ER-O705 towards him, striking the building behind him, however a shot did land on Zephiris, and the energy released resulted in an explosion which stalled the NEXT.

"We suffered a direct hit. Three-thousand, four-hundred sixty-eight AP lost... adding to damage from...! Oh no. We've got a red unknown- damage taken to several areas...! Missiles Incoming. He's armed an Ogoto grenade cannon… We can't dodge from this position...!"

Adler cringed as the shot was fired from Strayed, looking into the enemy's NEXT's eyes. Everything shook as the shot impacted directly, almost as if the Primal Armor wasn't even active. The HUD's AP display turned red. Zephiris only had three thousand AP left. However, the warning siren was momentarily over taken by a sharp cry of pain that was silenced, and followed by a direct thuwmp-sound as Selene had her Fortified Suit's Support and anti-G Force system fail, causing her to bash into the equipment in the NEXT, splitting her head wide open.

Adler turned back to see Selene lying slumped over in her seat, bleeding severely. "SELENE!"

* * *

_**Day 3**__- Break of Dawn  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base- Lynx Living Quarters_

Adler woke up abruptly, breathing heavily. "It was just a dream...," he said to himself, looking around his room, which was strangely quiet. A dim, red-gray light shown thru the window from behind, the rising sun reflecting dully off the building, which stood behind him. As he turned to walk out of his room, he heard a deep rumbling sound and everything began to shake. "I hope that's just a Giga Base rolling out...," he said to himself."If I hear the Code 991 siren...," he muttered as he let out a wide yawn. "I don't suppose it will be though."

Adler looked back, "Ah, you're..." a smile coming to his face as he saw Selene walking towards him.

"Adler...!" Selene said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I-I..."

"You know, don't you...?"

"Yes."

"Forget it; I was worrying only about a dream. There's more important things to worry about today. Surely GA isn't going to take the loss of May Greenfield with a grain of salt. With her death, everyone involved with the start of the New Sunshine Project is now dead... and she was the Rank 7." Adler said, "Besides, I'm so willing to take on those unknowns, even at a reduced fee. It's one thing for the enemy to kill someone I liked, and it's something else for them to do to them what those things did to her."

"But the other thing... You're thinking about it too, aren't you?"

"Ah, Takemikazuchi... I'm gonna take a look. I mean, the thing only warned of 'Laser-Class BETA' at one hundred meters, which according to the information we have, is the same altitude where the unknowns' EN capabilities become a threat."

"Also, that hangar was filled with blood, and the former pilot of the Takemikazuchi was _half-eaten_…"

"That too... But if the Unknowns are already this close to Yokohana colony…"

"It would be terrible. There's several million people living in that colony."

"And NEXTs can't fight in the colonies..."

"Of course, we don't know how old that hangar was. Takemikazuchi isn't in anyone's database, and with its distinctly Japanese name, it might be an Arisawa weapon, but even President Arisawa himself has never seen a machine anything like it."

"You asked President Arisawa about it, Selene?"

"Yes… That machine, it _bothers me_. If I knew what it was, I think I might be a bit more secure, but…"

"Ah. I see. But it's our only lead on any of the unknowns right now."

"I understand, but… it's got the scent of blood, and I can't stand it."

"We're Lynx. One way you look at it, we're in the business of killing— I'd think that you may have to get used to it. Especially the way you are…"

"No, it's not that. It's different. Something about that whole thing scares me. I just want it to go away."

"Well, I don't have any use for it, so I'm just gonna hand it over to command. I think if I'm right, the thing should have some kind of 'black box': if it's fought these unknowns that may be useful. Hell, its internal programming might shed some light on the enemy as well."

"You're right… but I've already told them about the warning it gave. They're sending a crew to probe it. They've also sanctioned off the training field for an investigation of the hangar... Ahh!" Selene spoke, but suddenly collapsed in pain as a man struck her from behind.

"...For what that bastard had done to my dear May, I should kill you, you damn—," a man in a New Sunshine Lynx uniform exclaimed.

"You really think you're gonna hurt Selene and get away with it?" Adler asked rhetorically, clenching his fists, and promptly throwing a swift punch towards the man's face. The man immediately blocked the punch, but Adler kneed him in the stomach. "I should kill _you_, you bastard." He said, kicking the man who had doubled over from the kneeing, in the face, and then grabbing hold of his neck. "In fact, I think I will. I suppose you're a bit unlucky I don't have my sidearm on me right this second, but I'm not sure I'd be too willing to give you a painless death even if I did."

"Adler...! Stop!" Selene had gotten back up. "Ow… Adler… please, don't kill him," she begged as Adler held the man, his thumbs depressed on the man's throat, him flailing to escape Adler's chokehold.

Adler looked back, and released the man, punching him once more. "Fine, but only because you asked." He turned back to face the man who had attacked them. "You blame _me_ for what happened to May? And then you take that out on Selene?! You damn lowlife."

"It _was_ your fault. She shouldn't have gone alone!" The man exclaimed, tears flowed from his eyes, whether that was due to pain from his short but brutal fight with Adler or due to the raw emotions he felt from the loss of May, "But no, you fell asleep the moment she came to ask you to deploy with her...!"

"Do you think I don't know what happened?! I know she came to ask me for deployment. I was not in proper mental state to pilot at that time...! And besides, _rookie Lynx, _where were you?" Adler's eyes were still full of rage as he spoke. "She was a Lynx, and a full-fledged one, not some half-wit dumbass like you. Dying is merely a reality of the battlefield. She knew that from the moment she signed up. She too was merely in the business of killing— despite whatever prideful romantics may be behind it, to be part of that business means the tables could turn on you at any time- that you could be the one killed, rather than being the one doing the killing."

"You cold, heartless bastard…!" The man exclaimed, "Do you care about anyone besides yourself and that girl?"

"No I don't. But that doesn't matter. Care about yourself, what you stand for, maybe those closest to you, and nothing else. Or else you'll die. And believe me, _rookie Lynx_, no one will actually care about you either...!"

The man merely collapsed in tears.

"I'm sure everyone here is going to be involved with killing those unknowns soon enough… If you want your damn revenge for the woman you never would've gotten, earn it there, or die trying. Don't take it out on me or Selene, _especially not Selene_, unless you want to die to an ally, because, believe me, hurt her again, and I _will _kill you...!" Adler kicked the man again, before walking off.

"Dammit!" the man cried. "Adler… he's right…"

_Near Noon  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base— Hangar 001_

When Adler entered the hangar, he looked around instinctively at the cores in the Hangar. His glance first panned over Repentence, which, due to the extensive repairs required on its head unit, was headless, and completely inoperable. He then took a direct look at the menacing Arathor, Llad's most notable NEXT. The stark combination of parts from various companies- from Algebra to the Union, to GA, and Omer— It's Head was the Soluh, core the Ekhazar, Legs were the Hogire, Arms: Latona. It was armed with a GA made large Gatling gun, an Eltanin, MSAC's Dearborn03 VTF missile launcher, and an Ogoto grenade cannon, and the Lamia AS missile shoulder units. Adding to the menace this NEXT put off was the array of stabilizers it had, adding sharp aerodynamic edges to many of the surfaces of the NEXT. The whole thing was painted jet black and it had been trimmed in red, with its sensor array glowing green once it took off. It was with this NEXT that Llad took on the three Lahires and an Eclipse at the Omer arsenal. It was also the only one of Llad's NEXTs that Adler had never been trialed against- typically, however, that was due to Llad never initially deploying in it, and much like what had occurred this time, the companies only order trials when they just had arrived.

After looking at Llad's NEXTs, Adler turned towards his own. Redeemer sat silent in its hangar. The black and red quad- a mostly algebra model armed with heavy machine guns. It made him cringe, for there was a time where he had once sided with the likes of Algebra, Omer, and Rosenthal, and Redeemer was proof of those days. It had a Latona core, with integrated Eklakh machine gun arms, on a Duskaror Core. Its head was the Algebra made Ekhazar model, and its additional weapons were GA's heavy Gatling Cannon and Arisawa's general-purpose grenade cannon, Ogoto. The core ran on a booster and generator load-out based on the concept of permanent flight while in combat, but due to the nature of such a core, instead that would simply be used for a large amounts of quick-boost, and as a final measure, the core was equipped with Omer's state-of-the-art Assault Armor Overed Booster, KRB-SOBRERO. For its time, this was Adler's main core of choice- until he and Selene started to operate his most well known core, the high-speed Zephiris, which stood silently next to the Redeemer.

But Adler knew he hadn't come to the hangar to stare at the NEXTs. His intent was the Takemikazuchi, but before he could get to it, he was approached by a member of the command staff.

"Hello, Adler." The officer had a very somber look on his face. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. He had slicked back black hair, with a singular strand as an outshoot hanging over the edge of his glasses. While his uniform and badges gave him away as a member of Arisawa command, he was not anyone Adler was familiar with.

"Hello, sir." Adler replied.

"My name is Tadashiro Takashita. I am one of Arisawa's head research and development officers."

"Well then, sir, what do you have with a common Lynx such as myself?"

"You found something I've been looking for."

"And what would that be?"

"A functional Tactical Surface Fighter. By that I do mean the Type-00 Takemikazuchi that you uncovered in that hangar buried under what is now our training field."

"That core?" Adler looked over at the Blue and orange craft which stood silently in the hangar. "What does Arisawa want with it?"

"It's not a core. It predates the Armored Core by quite a few years. In fact, the Type-00 entered active service for the former Japanese Empire in 2000."

"So, this thing isn't a prototype NEXT then- it's before the Armored Core… why does it control so similar to one? And it's capabilities far and away outstrip the power of a standard Normal."

"That's to be expected. The Type-00, notably the Type-00R, the same variant of the Type-00 you've managed to obtain, is an extremely high performance machine. After a few tests, I've discerned it also has Alternative IV's XM3 Operating System— the very system that was redeveloped into the core of GA's New Sunshine computer-assisted AMS. What you found is truly an amazing relic."

"How do you know all this? No one, not even President Arisawa had any clue…"

"Of course he wouldn't. My Family is one the few who have managed to preserve the history of the Core, and until recent developments, this has been completely top secret— including the TSF. I have ancestors who were involved in the development of the Type-00. There may even be- no it _will_ have data regarding the BETA- of course it's not much… that's why we need your Type-00."

"The BETA..?"

Tadashiro took in a deep breath. "Beings of the Extra Terrestrial origin which are Adversaries of the human race... I don't actually know a lot about them. All I know is that they were a enemy force that the whole of humanity battled during the late 1900s and early 2000s. The Tactical Surface Fighter, and later the Armored Core Normal were developed to fight them."

"Extra-Terrestrial? So they're alien?" Adler jokingly asked as he pictured a small green man holding a ray-gun in his head after hearing that description.

"Yes. I know that they were incredibly powerful. Yet somehow, despite over thirty years of war, we, as a species, won the war- the BETA were eliminated on Earth... Of course the possible continued existence of an alien force might destabilize the populace, so during his reign, 'Father' attempted to erase all information regarding them, including the TSF."

"Not like that did him any good- Fran's rebellion still occurred, and Father was killed."

"He also did it because he feared the Type-00- that was a weapon that could defeat him. While the modularity of the early core won it many battles- it was the force that toppled the United States, the Type-00R managed to hold its own against even some of the fiercest Ravens. He hunted those involved with the Type-00 down, and tried to erase the one TSF that could jeopardize his reign… But Fran's rebellion shut him down- using the very weapon he held in the highest regard, before he could eliminate everything- but even to my family, most of the Type-00's secrets are still hidden... The only thing I had to my side was the continued existence of XM3- which as you see, has become one of the most used systems on the modern day NEXT. Of course, what concerns me right now, is the possibility of data regarding the BETA."

"Well, apparently they have a 'Laser-Class', that seems to be an extreme danger during the time of the TSF. I somehow doubt it'd be much of a threat in this day and age- besides, it's not like we're fighting aliens out there."

"Unfortunately, if I'm correct, we are, Lynx." Tadashiro's tone grew very grave compared to the already serious tone his words were in naturally. "I'm sure you're aware of the events that occurred in Richland, correct?"

"What? You mean Omer's out of control bio-weapon?"

"Omer has other words on that. They have released an official statement to the League."

"Of course they would deny involvement in anything official. They always do."

"The Unknowns that overran the Richland base, shot down the Cloud of Eden, and killed May Greenfield— they appeared about the same time as the large-scale meteor showers did. This has lead Omer, and its subsidiaries to believe that they are, in fact, extra terrestrial in origin.

"Sounds like they're coming up with cheap excuses to mask their own problem of developing a bio-weapon and then losing control of it. Besides, even if they are alien, doesn't change the fact that they're enemy, and the fact that I still hate Omer."

"Whatever keeps you fighting, Lynx. Either way, given Omer's statement, and your discovery of an operational Type-00R, I think…"

"You have my official permission to do whatever you want with that machine, Tadashiro. It's mere presence is scaring Selene, so I'd be fine with being rid of it."

"Your attitude needs some adjusting, Lynx. Wouldn't you think it'd be more useful to have more information on your foe, than learning the way May did?"

"To be honest, Tadashiro, I'm not the one you should be talking to, regarding that detail, tell that to mission command- if they'd believe you. Like I said, I already knew what you wanted, so I gave it to you. The rest, doesn't concern me. Speak to me again if you've got a mission, but otherwise, leave the details to someone else. And my attitude, that's for me to care about, not you. Now excuse me, I've got to do some adjustments on Zephiris."

"I hope, for your sake, that means installing Assault Armor. I know you'll be part of tomorrow's large deployment." Tadashiro merely adjusted his glasses and shook his head as Adler walked away. "Typical Independents. They don't have a care in the world… Of course, what the hell is command thinking hiring another one. Adler is enough of a headache- and now they're bringing in Berlioz's… Of course, they're still pressuring tomorrow's deployment… This is all a headache. At least obtaining the Type-00R went smoothly."

_Late Afternoon  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base— General Briefing Room_

Adler walked into the room, and sat down in the back, next to Selene. "At last, details on our next mission. It's about damn time." He muttered to himself.

"Alright, as you are aware, this mission is in response to the loss of May Greenfield in yesterday's operation. In light of the 'Unknown Biological Enemies', we have deemed that a full scale attack, involving the use of two of our AF Giga Bases, a large number of Normals and MTs, as well as the available NEXT units, including the newly initiated NSS pilots, is our best course of action. This battle will be extremely widescale, so we have hired the aid of another NEXT, namely NEXT Double Heart."

"Double Heart? Victoria? Berlioz's adopted daughter? The heir of Line Ark?" Adler mentioned to himself.

"As you may be aware, NEXT Double Heart is a Rank 13 lightweight model, but considering it is Abe Marshe's latest, we can fully expect it to perform to an excessive degree. However, due to the circumstances of the battle, Double Heart will not be present until the operation is well underway."

"...So it is her. She's nearly as notable as Raven— White Glint. Why she's involved, I couldn't guess, although I'd think the fee GA and Arisawa had to shell out to get her to join this fight had to excessive, considering they had to reveal that she'd be up against the unknowns."

"As for the operations tasked to the NEXTs- they are as follows: Elimination of the largest of the unknowns falls to Adler. Elimination of the source of the high-intensity lasers, that falls to Llad. General fire support to the two NSS pilots. As a note, that involves weeding out the location of the lasers. With the kind of firepower that they have, not even our Giga Base units are safe from their EN Attacks- so the elimination of the lasers is the highest priority."

"Targeting the lasers? What a task for Llad. I hope he'll be ok with that. But the rookies got a mission that involves finding them? I hope they know what they're doing with that..."

"As a note, due to the unknown nature of the enemy, this operation will be extended and variable. It's an important mission for GA- and I'm sure it's an important mission for you all as well."

"Yeah, as long as I get to kill those unknowns, whatever they are..."Adler muttered to himself, half-asleep. "Now for the boring part. Funny that those suits always think they know battlefield strategy. You can't be taught that- you can only learn it thru experience... Raptor may have the experience, but he's not conducting the strategy for this operation- I can already tell. Besides, he was outright catatonic earlier today- still disturbed from May's death." Adler's thoughts tried to mask the fact that even he was still offset by the death of May Greenfield. "I doubt he'll be involved in any operating or strategizing jobs for a while… his first official one and he loses the Lynx in _that_ manner. I don't know how the hell I'd handle it myself…"

"Adler…" Selene said his name quietly. "Tomorrow worries me. I don't think they're doing enough…"

"We'll be fine…"

_Late Afternoon  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base— Main Facility_

"Hey, Llad." Adler said, as his fellow Lynx walked down the hall towards him and Selene.

"Hey Adler, Selene..!" He responded.

"How's tomorrow looking for ya? Going after the lasers? Think you can handle that?"

"I've got Arathor ready for it. Changed out its Cougar Boost for an I-Rigel— or I'm having them do that today. Mission command is highly recommending Assault Armor, and I, for once, agree with them."

"Hmm…The I-Rigel? I'd use Sobrero myself."

"Speaking of, are you going to be equipping Zephiris with AA?"

"I'm not too sure. She doesn't work too well with it- Assault Armor is just too energy intensive. But dealing with those red unknowns…"

"I see what you mean. But, given, we know Assault Armor kills them outright- and that was from Merrygate's Cougar-Assault Armor- which is, as we know, to be a weak-and-inefficient AA."

"That gets me thinking, those rookies in their stock New Sunshine models… They're just going to be in our way."

"They shouldn't even be on this mission— they're a risk to everyone involved."

"…I kinda feel bad for them. Especially that one from earlier…" Selene spoke up. "He cared so much for May, and she's gone… he'll never see her again."

"I don't. That man hurt you Selene. I don't see why you'd feel bad for him. Yes, he lost May, but he'd never have gotten to be with her anyways: She's way above him."

"I-I'm not too sure, she may have. She had many admirers, but I could tell from the tone of his voice, he loved her, and she was, in a way, alone." Selene replied. "They may have been a wonderful couple."

"That still doesn't excuse the fact that he attacked you, when you had done nothing wrong- he may have been pissed off, but there was no excuse for his actions."

"Wait, you two were attacked by one of the rookies?" Llad asked. "Shouldn't command be notified?"

"No. I kicked his sorry ass. He wanted revenge for May…"

"You're thinking he should earn it on the battlefield?"

"Exactly."

"You know full well those who go into battle seeking revenge wind up dead."

"And those who hurt Selene wind up dead too. I think, that he's got a death wish- but I'm not the one to fulfill it. He should earn his death in battle, trying to claim his revenge, not by pissing me off."

"You've got a sadistic way of thinking, Adler."

"Do I? Either way, he should fight for everything that meant anything for him tomorrow. who knows, he may just earn his revenge. Or— he'll die, like the rest. Of course, those rookies… they're your help in weeding out the lasers."

"Well, you're right about that. We know they target anything that flies over one-hundred meters, so I assume those rookies are going to be using Wheeling03 out there."

"Probably."

"Seems easy enough once we've got the concept— I'd think you've got the harder job. There were hundreds of the large ones."

"Heh. From the looks of it, it's just another standard kill op for me— give me the biggest target."

"That's because you pilot a blader, Adler."

"Why they do it doesn't mean that they didn't. I'm always the one going for the largest targets."

"Anyways, we should head down to the mess hall- with tomorrow's operation being hungry should be the least of our concerns…"

_Nighttime  
Arisawa Heavy Industries Yokohana Colony Base— Lynx Living Quarters_

"Everything seemed so down today. I guess the loss of May was really that hard on people." Adler said as he sat down next to Selene. "I don't get it though, Lynx fight and die. That's our way of life. Sure, the way she died was…_sickening_, but…"

"I suppose it's just everyone's attachment to May. She was always so happy and cheerful. Her just being around made people smile, so I suppose that's why, when she died, that everyone is well, sad."

"It doesn't matter, though. She was a Lynx. She undertook the risk that she could be killed on any given sortie. She knew it, and so did everyone else. We're just soldiers— we're not gods… I get what's wrong with Raptor- he, I suppose, has blamed himself for her death, and given his position, I can see why." Adler spoke with an odd, distinct calm in his voice. His mind fading to the sole time he saw Cristoph this day, sitting alone in the mess hall, drinking some hard alcohol and crying."At least Llad isn't that down about this whole thing…"

"He was. You've known him for long enough- you should've been able to tell, just from the way he talked. You're the only one in relatively high spirits, Adler… It's seeming like you just don't care. But…"

"That's well, because, in a way, I don't. Like I've said, she was a Lynx. Yes, her death came as a surprise- and indeed, I will miss her- you're right, her just being around did bring a smile to anyone's face, even mine. But the thing is, she, just like the rest of us, was just a soldier. We fight, and we die. That's it. Our life isn't glamorous… you of all people should know that, and don't forget, you're the way you are because of a wayward Lynx."

"But we were saved by a Lynx, too. And you're a Lynx, too."

"Doesn't mean much. There's still no reason for this much depression over loss of one Lynx."

"Stop trying to hide your feelings though, Adler. I know you're just acting that way…"

"I know.. I can't hide anything from you. But I'm serious, I…"

"You were upset beyond words yesterday. I know in your heart you still are— don't act like I can't tell. May was your friend, and losing her is…"

Adler shook as his eyes welled up with tears. "I know Selene… but we can't bring her back. She's gone. All we can do is hope for the best tomorrow— avenge her. And as much as I say it, you're right, I am distraught. She was a Lynx, her death was predictable, but…"

"It hurts, and there's nothing that can ease that pain… Adler, I…"

"…You know, Selene, to say the plainest, you, too, haven't shown any feelings in regards to May… not even yesterday."

"That's because I…"

"Don't worry, Selene. I know exactly why." Adler placed his right arm around Selene, "It's not something anyone should have to deal with…"

"Adler… Don't…"

"I know, I won't bring it up."

"Tomorrow worries me…"

"We'll be fighting those things, but it can't be any more than fighting what we already have." Adler placed his hand on hers. "There's no reason to be afraid— a bunch of unknown bioweapons aren't going to stop us. I won't be stopped until I see _them_ dismantled. For what happened to you- for what happened to us…"

"Don't think— no don't worry about it…"

"But, Selene, after…"

"You said you wouldn't bring it up."

Adler sighed, "Besides…"

"…What if what Tadashiro was right? What if what we're fighting tomorrow isn't Omer's doing? What if the enemy is the BETA he spoke of?"

"If they're the BETA, or something else twisted created by Omer, I don't care. I'll obliterate them…" a sense of rage was conveyed from Adler's words, his free hand clenching into a tight fist. "Especially if it was Omer."

"Adler…" Selene's facial expression quivered, "I'm not sure…"

"Do you not trust me?"

"No- that's not it…"

"Are you doubting yourself?"

"No.. I can't do that…"

"Then Zephiris will do fine out there. We've made it this far— and we'll keep on living the way we have."

"I hope you're right, Adler… I don't want anyone else to die the way May did…" Selene said, getting up and turning towards the door. "I don't want to die that way…"

"You won't. I won't let it happen."

"If we fail tomorrow, Adler… kill me yourself."

"I couldn't do that, Selene. You know that…"

"I don't want to deal with that pain… It's more than I could possibly bear."

"Huh—? Oh. The answer then is simple- we don't fail."

"…Good night, Adler. But promise me, you won't let me go thru any more pain."

"I promise. But I'm not going to kill you. I'm not going hurt you— never again…" He spoke with a solid conviction as she walked out of his room, slowly shutting the door behind her. "Good night, Selene."

_"I'm a thinker, I could break it down… I'm a shooter, trust me, baby… As we jump out, Feel it in the will..! Will you come, peacefully with me?" _

Adler took note of the radio which cracked on and off in the corner of his room as he lay there, "Hm… it actually works..."

"_Did you think this love would last you forever?"_

"Thinker… hmm… that's an old song…" He muttered to himself as he rolled over to go to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a major operation, and he knew he wouldn't get much sleep before hand, so he tried his best to not think about anything as he closed his eyes. The song continued to play on in the background, it's second set of lyrics beginning to repeat.

"_Did you think this love would last you forever?"_

The radio's signal faded as a Normal walked past the building, returning the sound to a silence.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This fic needs more love/reviews..! Come on! Don't be shy! I'm not a BETA!


	5. Lynx of a certain Caliber, Day 4

_Lynx of a certain Caliber_

* * *

_**Day 4- **__Break of Dawn  
Outside Target Zone: 173km from Richland_

"Attention Lynx… This is Maria Summers. I will be global operator for this mission. Our objective is the elimination of the Unknown Biological Entities in the Richland Agricultural Plant, and the securing of the plant itself."

Adler yawned, for him; the call to arms came far too early. At least, however, he realized, a good chunk of it was marching alongside the Arms Fort Units, which innately got him instinctively recalling all he knew of the Arms Forts currently in existence. Arms Fort Giga Base— one of the earliest Arms Forts built and mass-produced. It has an onboard crew of roughly 130 personnel, and virtually every company in the League deploys it or its variants. It has three variants. The two deployed for this mission are AF-0002B assault Giga Bases, armed with four massive cannons as its main armament. The AF-0002A Giga Base is the variant first built- its main turret only operating two cannons, but they had significantly higher power than the 0002B. The third variant, AF-0002IU or the "Interior" Giga Base was developed by Torus and the Interior Union. Like the rest of the Giga Bases, they're all basically GA America models with different load outs, but the AF-0002IU stood out- it maintained the same point defenses, and standard load out of the Giga Base, but it had a singular massive Rail Cannon in place of the heavy weapons. It's a weapon that uses a sadistic combination of EN and ballistics- and it was devastating. A single shot could turn another AF into rubble nearly instantly, and meant instant death for any NEXT or Normal struck. There are even rumors of Torus building a Kojima Cannon variant of the AF-0002, similar to their Sol Dios Orbit AF-0001SDOLC, which was a heavily modified Land Crab. There was no denying the military might of the AF Giga Base, nor its usefulness on the battlefield, but it was absolutely nothing compared to the terrifying power a company's Main Arms Fort wields. Risen Spirit of Motherwill, BFF's second Generation Main Arms Fort, a long-range fire platform armed with GA, BFF, and MSAC's finest weapons; GA's Great Wall, which despite being slightly dated, is still considered one of the strongest land-based weapons. Cloud of Eden, was the Interior Union's statement of Air Superiority- a massive floating fortress, built similarly to a Cradle, but armed and armored beyond a point of absurdity. Also there is Omer's supposed Main Arms Fort, Kushina- another flying Arms Fort, armed with Kojima Technology and a powerful Primal Armor system, said to be able to project a Primal Armor field on nearby allies, or cause massive Kojima corrosion to enemies- it also is said to have a secret EN weapon capable of incredible amounts of devastation.

In the past, Omer and the Interior Union used to operate a Joint Main Arms fort in the League's name, the infamous Answerer. In the days before Strayed destroyed it for ORCA, the Answerer would be the League's answer to any unrest. Armed with a terrifying arsenal, and only vulnerable from within its powerful Primal Armor, the Answerer was called "invincible", however, in daring turn of events, the Answerer was destroyed in a swift motion by Strayed, and soon afterward, the Interior-Omer war broke out.

Adler shook his head, he needed to worry about the mission, not think about Arms Forts. He looked around in the cockpit of Zephiris as it marched along the ground, its boosters not even active. In truth the cockpit would be shaking immensely, but due to the Fortified suits worn and stabilizing machinery within, it doesn't.

"…As this is a large scale mission, personal briefings have been drafted by GA for the NEXT pilots. Each of you has a specific mission to accomplish during this operation. You were instructed on the basics of your operations yesterday, but a specialized briefing is being transmitted. You'll receive it shortly." Maria's voice seemed eerie. Like May, Maria Summers was also notably cheery.

"It'd be a shame if Maria died…" Adler muttered, "She's not a Lynx or Raven… She's not a fighter. All she does is read information and relay it to us out on the frontlines."

"So we'll protect her, right, Adler?" Selene responded.

"Yeah, but I don't know if we can."

"She's in Giga Base Unit 2, right?"

"Yeah."

"So we just keep the enemy from reaching the Arms Fort."

"That's simple enough, but we don't have a serious clue as to how many enemies will be on this battlefield. There was Thirty-Thousand when May died, but across the entire area, there could be countless more. Besides, we've got a specific mission to accomplish… we can't throw that away just to guard the Arms Fort. That's what the Normals are here for."

"You're right, but after you mentioned it, I'm worried something bad may happen to her."

"Attention Lynx, here's the mission. The client is Arisawa Heavy Industries…" the automated, prerecorded briefing began to play. Adler however quickly noted, it's just an essential repeat of yesterday's general briefing for him, so he tuned it out and looked ahead. The sun was beginning to rise over the mountains, and the sky was lit a brilliant orange. There were clouds in the distance, but there was no chance of inclement weather at the battlefield.

"At this rate, it'll be about an hour before we reach the edge of the base combat zone… Those unknowns… we're really going to be fighting them…" Adler said, "It may not be pretty when it happens, but we'll win."

"I hope so… to tell you the truth, Adler, I'm scared. I…"

"You have no reason to be. We're Lynx, we may not be ranked through Collared, but I've beaten the Rank 5, and we've been through worse…"

The communication channel clicked on, "Hey, Adler…" Llad said, "are you ready for this?"

"The question is, are you? Sounded like you've got the harder job. Besides you have to keep the newbies under control."

"Yeah. I've got this. Besides we have Arms Fort back up for once."

"Heh. It's typically the other way: We're usually fighting the Arms Forts, not backing them up… the League _never_ does this."

"You're right. The only time any of the companies ever do use NEXTs at the same time as AFs is when dealing with certain threats, like Algebra's Cabracan, and even then only single Lynx or elements are deployed."

"Cabracan… That would suck if we have to deal with the bioweapon and those things, even with this much firepower."

"Four NEXTs, a Fifth joining via Vanguard Overed Boost, two Giga Base units, two wings of Normals— over One Hundred Fifty cores deployed, the Arms Forts, and MTs in addition to Tanks and other ground vehicles." Selene spoke up from behind Adler, "There's a large amount of allies. The only thing we're lacking are the assault helicopters, but that's due to the existence of high-intensity laser fire which would make air assets useless."

"This is no ordinary operation. This is the full power of Arisawa's Yokohana base. With the exception of the base's defense units, we're really going all out here." Adler replied.

"Everyone is upset over May. This reaction though…" Selene added.

"Especially that NSS pilot… William. Not like he matters, outside of being able to give fire support out here. He better not screw this up and get anyone killed."

"William… he loved May, and yet…"

"What does it matter? The battlefield is no place for such emotions." Adler said visibly shaking his head.

"I wouldn't say that, looking at you and Selene, Adler." Llad laughed. "Though, I know you two have been together since childhood. Well, or so I've heard."

"Yeah, that's true, but it's not like we're _together_ or anything…" Adler said with a sigh and a sharp tone.

"Come on, Adler. Everyone knows you're in love with her."

"What do you have to say about me, Adler!?" William, one of the two NSS pilots said.

"You better watch it, William. Don't screw this operation up. You're not an official Lynx, you're just an NSS Cadet."

"Adler, you…! And it's 'Eagle' out here, not 'William'."

"Face it, you're nothing but a cadet, and you've had the honor of royally ticking me off yesterday. NEXT NSS-Barrage is worth more than you, so you better not screw this up."

"Why you—!"

"Cut the chatter— I trust that you NEXT pilots understand your specific missions. We're moving into the valley now, NEXTs remain on Standby." Maria Summers' voice came over clear. "As per the mission plan, the NEXTs are to be on Standby while the Giga Base units shell the area- the rest of the units are to move up, following Giga Base 01, which will deploy its Mamluk and GAME-Quasar units, as well as its other support vehicles. Once then, William piloting NSS-Barrage and Tsuki in NSS-Galaxy will begin firing Vertical launch missiles towards the target to bait the lasers into revealing their position. Once the position of the laser-firing enemies has been identified, Llad will engage directly, and being eliminating the enemy's laser capability. Adler will engage at the same time as Llad, and close into the enemy force, targeting the large unknowns. Once the NEXTs have engaged, the entire force will move towards the objective."

"Such a simple plan. I'd say it's reckless, but we have this much firepower." Adler laughed. "It's almost stupid."

"Giga Base 02 will remain 35 kilometers from the target area, and give long-range supporting fire, and only deploy its MT units in an emergency. The 215th Normal Battalion, Shogun, will engage following NEXT engagement. 209th, Ronin, will remain as a defense line at Giga Base 01's position, which will remain behind the main battle line. Tank battalions are to be deployed with MTs, and follow standard orders. This is GA's largest operation since the battle at Sing colony, but it's far more important- taking control of the Richland plant is of the utmost importance to us, as it is the largest agricultural field in the world currently and is involved in nearly all non artificial food production."

"Well, I guess we won't have to protect Maria Summers after all, she'll be so far from the battle it won't matter... But really, did she have to mention Sing? Or did she forget GA lost that battle?"

"That's because Strayed destroyed the first Great Wall there. Strayed isn't our enemy here…" Selene spoke in response to Adler's comment.

"I hope he isn't. The thought of having to fight _him_ is the one thing that scares me. Heh… I'm surprised 'Shadow Warrior' managed to live through that encounter, although, he did lose RAI-DEN."

"Uuuhh…" Selene quivered. "…Strayed…"

"Once the battle is well under way, NEXT Double Heart will enter the battlefield from the Northeast, deploying out of Kamchatka by Vanguard Overed Boost. She will engage surviving biologicals. Once she has arrived on the battlefield, Giga Base 02 will begin moving in, and the final phase of the mission will begin. Due to conditions, besides securing the facilities already present, the strategy for the final phase will be determined on site."

"Figured. Not even _Raptor_ could come up with a long term strategy based on these enemies… not that he'd be involved with today's mission anyways, considering how he was yesterday."

"This plan… is built on revenge, not sane thought." Selene's voice quieted. "I'm worried we may be wasting lives and resources in this…"

"Doesn't matter to us though. As long as we get paid."

"But what if we—"

"We won't die out here. I won't let it happen."

"What of our friends?"

"You mean Llad? He's smart enough to cut and run if things get too insane out there."

"But, he stood up to that black NEXT during the attack on the Noginsk Arsenal."

"The Black NEXT was only focusing on the unarmed Lahires though…" Adler shivered as he remembered the nightmare from yesterday. "It's not like that was Strayed or anything…"

"Now going over the load outs for the NEXTs involved with today's operation. Taking point as a 'Storm Vanguard', is Adler. His craft, Zephiris is a light Omer Model armed with two laser blades. Keep that in mind if you encounter the red unknowns- Adler cannot help you without severe damage to your craft. Our 'Gun Interceptor' NEXT, is piloted by Llad. He's piloting Arathor, a medium weight all-company model armed with various weapons. NSS Cadet William is our 'Rush Guard' is piloting NSS-Barrage, which as you know is one of Arisawa's Medium-heavy NSS models. As it is imperative that the enemy's EN Weapons are located, Barrage has been outfitted with two Wheeling03 vertical missile launchers as well as a heavy Gatling gun and a Grenade cannon. NSS Cadet Tsuki will be acting as 'Blast Guard'. He's piloting Arisawa's NSS-Galaxy, an ultraheavy support NEXT using the Raiden base. Like Barrage, Galaxy is armed with twin Wheeling03 vertical missile launchers and uses a Gatling Gun and Grenade cannon, however Galaxy is significantly higher armed. Stay clear of its firing path- we don't want any friendly fire accidents. The two cadet NEXTs also have shoulder mounted Relation Missiles— Musselshell for Barrage, and Muskingum02 for Galaxy. As per mission recommendations, all NEXTs, except Zephiris are armed with Assault Armor. Keep your eyes peeled, and keep your distance from the NEXTs as Assault Armor does not discriminate between friend or foe."

"Jeez. I haven't heard those terms applied to NEXTs in a long time. Last time was… Sing." Adler said as his eyes looked forward, paying no mind to the images being displayed directly into his vision by his fortified suit. "Those designations are usually reserved for Normal groups. But… Storm Vanguard? Isn't that reserved for the heavier units?"

"It's really just the point-unit. And considering they're assigning these roles to NEXTs… I guess that makes you Storm Vanguard One." Llad laughed.

"Gah. I know that's a prestige role, but it's not one I want."

"NEXT Double Heart is not assigned a role due to her later deployment, but what we know of her craft is that it's a light-weight custom model built by Abe Marshe. It's assumed to carry twin 051ANNR rifles, a special Flare launcher, a Saline spread missile launcher, as well as an expanded radar unit. Note that our current knowledge of Double Heart is limited, as Lynx Victoria is known to change the layout of her NEXT frequently, so her believed loadout may not actually be correct." Maria continued the briefing, and an image of the white, gold and red NEXT Double Heart was displayed.

"Is all this information really necessary to hand out at the start of the operation?"

"It seems as if they're treating this mission as a training operation for William and Tsuki." Selene shook her head as she spoke, her eyes half closed. "Live combat training… and an unknown enemy."

"Then they're not taking this seriously at all. After what happened to May, and knowing there's at least Thirty Thousand targets out there… They at least brought a lot of firepower, but…"

"The next portion of the Briefing will focus on the roles given to the Normals, so the Lynx can rest easy. We'll be entering the combat zone soon."

_Early Morning  
Edge of Target Zone: 33 km from Richland_

"The mountains are breaking away… ahead is the Richland valley, where the enemy is… where May died…" Adler shook his head, his hands gripping the two control sticks of his NEXT, ready to engage.

"Giga Base Unit 02 Stopping. Preparing long-rang bombardment… Sensors armed for long range." Maria Summers spoke with a noticeable lapse in her voice. "We're loading the main cannons. Proceed with the operation."

"Maria… she's not taking it too well… being here." Selene said, her voice soft. "She was May's operator for many missions. Knowing of her death on this battlefield is getting to her."

"Target… wait. Linking target visuals to NEXTs, no all combatants… What the hell is that?!"

An image of the battlefield was displayed on Adler's HUD. The normally green Richland facility had been stripped of life, and in the distance stood a large, jagged gray rock formation that according to sensors stood approximately Three-hundred meters tall, and it was slightly angled towards the east. Nearing the edge of where the green area of Richland gave way to the barren area surrounding the object, the smoldering ruins of an AF-Eclipse were evident.

"Just two days and this?! Richland's… Who would build something like— no that has to be remnant of the 'Triple Impacts'." Adler exclaimed. "Wait… there's no way that's possible… something built that— are these really the BETA, like Tadashiro and Omer claim?!"

"What? What do you mean 'the BETA', Adler?" Llad said over the communicator.

"Some bigshot from Arisawa said something about these ' Beings of the Extra Terrestrial origin which are Adversaries of the human race' or whatever— And Omer issued some kind of statement that they believe that the out of control biologicals that shot down the Cloud of Eden and tore their base up, and killed May Greenfield are extraterrestrial. That core, err… TSF, that I found also gave me some kind of warning when I started having it fly, about something called 'Laser-class BETA' and having to keep my altitude below one-hundred meters."

"Wait, you have information on the enemy!?" Maria exclaimed, "Why wasn't it reported?!"

"I gave the damn TSF to Tadashiro! Ask him! I don't know anything besides what we all know already— and that's assuming that this crazy possibility is correct!"

"Well, what do you know?"

"Laser-class BETA target things above one-hundred meters… and they use lasers."

"That doesn't exactly help anything…"

"Forget it all. We've got a plan. Let's just get killing. It doesn't exactly matter if the enemy is 'the BETA' or something Omer cooked up in one of their labs in the middle-east." Adler was notably getting more and more frustrated as the conversation dragged on.

"…Giga Base 02, firing main cannon at large object in Richland area." Maria said, as the AF's cannon unit rotated into position and fired, emitting a loud blast as it did, sending the massive shell over the nearby mountain. As the shell passed towards the target, a strange sound filled the air as hundreds of lasers shot up into the sky. The shell burst in mid air as lasers continued to fire, eliminating even stray shrapnel. "Oh my… That kind of accuracy… and that many sources?"

"Ok… that's worth being worried over." Llad cringed as the sky nearly turned white with the lasers.

"Change to plan. Now commencing all out long range bombardment. We can't risk the NEXTs in the target area… What!? GIGA BASE 01 receiving laser exposure?! Units Scramble!... That can't be! Normal units receiving laser exposure! Shogun unit has already lost three Normals!"

"What?! They're firing at targets on the ground!?" Adler exclaimed.

"Zephiris entering Combat Mode, now synchronizing with AMS… Dual pilot synchronization active." Selene's voice was monotone and strange. "Adler. Control your emotions. The unexpected happens all the time on the battlefield."

"But this distance… and our information… it's wrong..!? Those lasers shouldn't be targeting the Normals- they're on the ground!"

"Laser sources determined..! Now displaying targets…! NEXTs! GO! We can't risk the kind of firepower they're wielding..!"

"That's… insane! That many?! Llad's gonna have a tough time. Screw the plan. I need to assist with this…"

"Adler! The laser sources are firing from positions lower than four meters. You'll have difficulty hitting them with your blades… leave that operation to Llad!"

"Llad? You good on this?"

"Yeah. It's just the target density is…" Llad said, as Arathor began boosting across the ground, catching up with the Giga Base 01 and its Normal units.

"We can't possibly handle this! We're gonna need artillery support! Don't we have Vertical missiles to act as bait?!"

"Not if they're targeting… wait a second. I've got it. Judging by our sensors, the lasers are avoiding friendly fire with other targets. Based on trajectories from the struck Normals, there were straight lines not interrupted by other biologicals…" Maria exclaimed, her voice loud and shaken. "They're not committing friendly fire! Use the other ones as a shield! All units, advance!"

"26 km to the target area..! Lasers are in the main combat zone…!"

"This is Michael Irmine from Giga Base unit 01 to NEXT pilots..!" a sharp male voice came over strong from the communicator, as his image was displayed. "Fall back behind Giga Base 01. Normals will move in front. We're going to move in immediately."

"What? You're going to sacrifice the Normal units?!" Adler exclaimed.

"Given the circumstances, we have little choice, but we have a theory…! Give us fire support Giga Base 02, keep firing. The target is the enemy cluster! Fire towards laser source clusters..! Keep rounds in the air! Don't stop firing! At the very least, we'll clear out these lasers for our approach!"

"This is Maria Summers. Giga Base 02 is firing its main cannons. Pilots, keep clear of our firing path..!"

The shots rang out from the Giga Base units, one after the other. The shells soared at hypersonic speeds over the Normals towards the cluster of enemies, but the lasers quickly targeted them, shooting them down with ease.

"The enemy… is prioritizing the artillery shells over the Normal units?" Adler's voice had risen with his tension. "That… doesn't make any sense… they can kill our Normals in single shots, yet they prioritize the shells…"

"It makes sense if they want to live. The Giga Bases fire 2300mm shells packed with high explosives. Either they take their lasers off our Normals, or they're blown apart by taking the hits." Michael Irmine explained. "Either way, the firing latency for the main cannons of the Giga Base is 10.35 seconds, and the lasers is at twelve. So… we have a chance to approach. Those times should keep the lasers targeting the shells for a few moments while we close in. Solarwind Normals, activate boosters and close in first!"

"This is Captain Takanami, Storm Vanguard One of Shogun Battalion regiment 14! Acknowledged, Major Irmine!" A normal pilot called out as the unit began firing boosters and flying towards the enemy positions. "We'll show these things the might of Arisawa and GA!"

"Captain! You're flying too high! Watch your altitude!" Maria Summers called out, "Laser exposure! You—" Maria's words didn't offer much solace or warning as a stream of light tore into Captain Takanami's Solarwind, igniting it in a brilliant fireball. "…Just what is the enemy's targeting priority? There were shells in flight…" Maria's voice had started to grow worried earlier, but a sense of dread could be felt now over anything. "Are they just targeting anything that's flying?"

"Shogun Battalion Solarwind units approaching Richland. Eighteen Normals lost… Long Range Artillery shots only have a five-percent hit rate… Giga Base 01 is fifteen kilometers to destination. NEXTs be ready— once we're in close, I want those lasers eliminated! They're ripping us apart out here!" Major Irmine's voice was solid unlike Maria's. "Preparing additional bombardment with what secondary guns we can."

"That's right… the broadsides of the AF-Giga Base are where it stores its ammo, that's why laser blades can eliminate a Giga Base by striking at its side… With the intensity of the enemy's laser fire, we can't risk turning the Giga Base to provide additional firepower." Adler muttered to himself as he followed the Arms Fort. "Of course, the Eltanin has a lot more penetrating force than the enemy's lasers."

"Multiple lasers firing are firing on Giga Base 01." Selene's voice was strangely monotone. "The sheer numbers the enemy has simply overwhelms the faster fire rate of the Giga Base."

"Damn! If we lose that AF, this operation will…"

It was then, that Adler noticed a brilliant, red-tinted laser, larger than the smaller beams that had tore the Normals to shreds earlier slice into Giga Base 01's main turret, triggering a massive explosion. "What!? That attack?! That laser was certainly more intense than any of the previously seen ones."

"Enemy Hi-Lasers confirmed…" Selene stuttered as she spoke.

"…That much firepower… it was only one…"Adler looked on in awe as he looked at the Giga Base. Two of its four cannons were gone, and smoke rose from it.

"Intense Energy spikes confirmed, twelve signatures… they match… the Hi-Laser. The Normals…" Selene looked on in awe as beams cut down several Normals with ease. "None missed."

"Twelve Normals gone in an instant?!" Adler exclaimed. "Can we reliably fight that kind of firepower?"

"…Enemy has high intensity laser…s beyond…all… expectations." Maria's words broke up as she spoke. "More shots…They're aiming for the Giga Base!"

"Thirty-Four…" Major Irmine, who had until then been solid, suddenly was in awe at the enemy's firepower, fear permeating his voice. "Can we take that kind of—?!" Lasers continued to fire, easily slicing down Normals, and several devastating the treads of the Giga Base. "I don't believe it… we're immobilized."

"Only small scale Energy spikes for now— They're still targeting the bombardment from Giga Base 02. There's at least forty-seven high lasers confirmed… Data confirms the target— they're at twenty-one meters. Either the enemy has a vantage point, or the target is NEXT sized. Adler…! Your new orders are to target and eliminate the Hi-lasers..! Positions are being relayed… Shogun Battalion has engaged the enemy! They're now moving on the enemy's vanguard." Maria tried to hide her tension as she spoke.

"Well, that's nice. The enemy's Hi-lasers are well within their ranks. And there's forty-seven of them… but with Zephy's speed…" Adler said, "NEXT Zephiris now engaging! Full Boost ready!"

"Right behind you, Adler!" Llad said, as Arathor roared into action, flying only a few feet off the ground.

"It's time I killed these bastards for taking May from me!" William yelled as his NEXT boosted forward, targeting the green-shelled enemies with a barrage of missiles. The sky went white- as a barrage of lasers targeted the arsenal of missiles as they flew through the air.

"Engaging the enemy!" Tsuki yelled. "I'm not going to let Eagle and the independents have all the fun!"

"NEXTs! Get your vertical missiles in the air immediately. We still need to worry about the lasers, but use the other enemies as cover— as far as we know, they won't fire on allied targets at all."

"Gotcha, Maria!" Tsuki responded as his tank-type NEXT flipped up its twin missile launchers. "But what should I target?"

"Assumedly, the enemy will shoot down your missiles, Tsuki. However, attempt to target the source of the Hi-Lasers if they're in range."

"They're not— and my targeting system is…"

"Just target anything, Cadet!" Adler called out. "We need those missiles in the air or the enemy will target us with those lasers!"

"He's right, Tsuki..! It doesn't really matter what you target." Llad said, "But anything will help in this situation."

"Listen to the Lynx, Cadets. Also, Tsuki, Will, do not arm your Shoulder weapons. Conserve your ammo." Maria's voice was regaining composure as the NEXTs engaged. The force the NEXTs wielded was easily enough to start making a dent in the wall of approaching enemies.

"Right..! Targeting the charging enemies…!" Tsuki said, as his NEXT began firing a storm of vertical missiles.

"Tsuki, Will, Llad! The… 'Destroyer-class'… um… BETA— that's what we're calling them for the moment being, are protected by a powerful shell. Don't waste ammunition on that! Our sensors indicate that its structural integrity is extremely solid… It may be harder than diamond…!" Maria called out as the NEXTs approached the horde of enemies.

"Harder than diamond? Is it AF-Grade super carbon!?" Adler exclaimed.

"Harder. It's also extremely thick. The same structure seems to be present on the crab-like BETA's forearms." Selene said as she received data from the Giga Base's sensors. "Field command has identified the following types— the types we're already familiar with- the beetles are being identified as 'Destroyer-class', the crabs are 'Grappler-class', the spiders are 'Tank-class'. Large ones are 'Fort-class'. The visual scanners on Giga Base 01 identified the laser sources… 'Laser-class' are identified as these." Selene finished speaking for a moment as an image was displayed to both her and Adler. The Laser-class was a strange looking creature, green in coloration, with two large eyes. It walked on human-like legs, and was observed at being about three meters tall.

"Damn, that's the enemy's EN weapon? Jeez, that's ugly."

"'Heavy-Laser-class'… this is our target." Selene said. "It's red in coloration, and is slightly taller than a NEXT at twenty-one meters. Based on calculations, they can fire approximately once every thirty six seconds. The damage that can be dealt by a Heavy-Laser-class is comparable to a direct hit from two Moonlight Energy blades… as it's an optical attack, there's no away to avoid it properly, and our Primal Armor does not help us." Like with the Laser-class, the Heavy-Laser-class's image was displayed, but due to combat damage taken when they fired, the image was slightly blurry. It was a blob with a single gigantic eye standing on two human-like bipedal legs, with two massive wings extending back from it. It had red "hair" from behind its singular eye. "The 'Laser-class' and 'Heavy-Laser-class' fire their lasers from their eyes- don't be in line of sight of them and we won't get shot."

"…That kind of firepower from the 'Heavy-Lasers'? We're dead in one go if that beam strikes us. What a day already…"

"Their positions are displayed in red on our radar— the yellow markers are 'Laser class'. All other targets are marked white." Selene spoke quickly as Zephiris boosted through the enemy line, slashing at a pair of Destroyer-class, killing them both in one motion. "The Giga Bases are firing towards the 'Heavy-laser class' that are most distant from us… and a salvo of missiles are also in flight."

"The laser class are firing… they're targeting the missiles over the large shells?" Maria's voice became strangely questioning as three of the five shots from the Giga Base units struck into the enemy ranks- where as the lasers eliminated Tsuki and William's Vertical missiles. "Confirming Giga Base shot impact..! The enemy is more focused on the missiles…"

"What kind of priority is that? They prioritize Normals above a certain height over missiles or Giga Base shots, but prioritize low damage vertically launched missiles over high-damage Giga Base artillery shots..?" Adler questioned as he fired the boosters on Zephiris, dodging a leaping tank-class, while slicing a grappler's head and right arm off. "Seems a bit too convenient that these enemies are targeting our lesser weapons. Sure the missiles are guided, but they don't pack nearly the punch of the Giga Base rounds."

"Closing on target Heavy-Laser. Enemy Fort-class is in our way…"

"A fort? The ones we were initially going to kill?"

"Target the Heavy-Laser, Adler. The Fort can provide some cover for us…!"

"Right…" Adler said, as he fired Zephiris's boosters in rapid succession, narrowly evading a swinging Grappler, and smashing Zephiris's legs into a couple Tanks, severing their arms as the sharp edges impacted their bodies. Zephiris achieved a lock on the Heavy-Laser class, and spun around rapidly utilizing a quick-boost turn, and then charged towards it and activating the left blade. "Die— whatever you are!" The blade easily penetrated and seared the target's flesh and it collapsed in a burning heap of blood and biological material.

"Target destroyed… calculating. Twenty-three targets remain. We'll probably need to only kill a few more, now that we can get the Giga Base fire through, unless enemy reinforcements show up… Our AP is at Twenty-two Thousand, Seven-hundred Thirty-Eight… We've taken some minor laser exposure, and taken damage from a Tank Class. No critical parts of the NEXT are damaged."

"Sounds great…"

"Confirmed twenty-one thousand three hundred enemy signatures based on information from the Giga Base units."

"Twenty one thousand!? That many!?"

"It's believable that there are more. This force may not be enough, even with the aid of another NEXT. We've lost half of the Normals in Shogun Battalion."

"Fifty Normals gone that quickly?"

"The casualty rate dropped significantly with the NEXTs entering the battlefield- most of the casualties occurred when the Shogun Battalion was met with laser fire."

"What's the status of the other NEXTs?"

"Arathor is at Seventy-Four Percent AP. He has nineteen remaining Ogoto rounds, all of his VTF missiles, and forty-one percent remaining Gatling ammo. There's slight damage to his laser-blade however, due to a Tank class. Primal Armor rectification at ninety-one percent."

"Sounds like Llad is fine."

"NSS-Barrage is PA-Disabled, currently, due to an Assault Armor usage earlier, four seconds until normal PA rectification becomes possible. His current AP percent is Fifty-Eight. His Wheeling03 ammo count has dropped to ninety-six. He only has a few shots remaining, and thus has armed the Musselshell. He's depleted his Gatling gun, but has fired no grenades."

"NSS-Galaxy likewise is PA-Disabled, however as his Assault Armor was just activated, it's an indeterminate time until NSS-Galaxy resumes normal rectification. AP percent… twenty-three!?"

"NSS-Galaxy is already at twenty-three percent?! What the hell is Tsuki doing!?" Adler exclaimed, as Zephiris sliced down another Heavy-laser. "Or did he get hit by a Heavy-laser?"

"Tsuki's craft is showing a severe amount of physical damage… He's encountered the enemy in close-quarters-combat."

"A Tank-type NEXT can't do that..! He should know better!"

"He seems to be acting guard for the Giga Base— the enemy is merely streaming towards him. Even though they're moving rather slow, there's just no way that many enemies can be kept at bay..!"

"Damn..! Are we going to lose another NEXT to these things!? Tsuki may just be an NSS Cadet, but…"

"It'd be worse than that— if Tsuki falls, the GAME-Quasars and Mamluk units won't have anywhere to retreat too. The GAME-Quasar can hardly move, and the Mamluk is just too slow… if those units fall, the Giga Base is most certainly lost- it's already breached in several areas and due to the damage it suffered to its treads from the Heavy Lasers…" Selene's voice dropped in volume, realizing the gravity of the situation. "I don't want to hear it… Not again… Not again… Not again… All I see is red… and… AHHGHH!"

"Selene?!" Adler exclaimed. "Selene! What's wrong..!?"

"Lynx Adler, Special Operator Selene! Report! We're getting a massive amount of Amazigh-type radiation emitting from Zephiris… AMS readings are only twenty percent!?" Major Irmine called out.

"What?!" Llad exclaimed, "Adler, is something wrong over there?!"

"…I'm fine, but Selene… she's…" Adler spoke, exasperated. "She passed out— I think it's one of her episodes…"

"She was dealt with the other day, though… I guess, Selene really is at the end of her life, isn't she?" Llad questioned.

"Shut it Llad…! Don't say things like that—! Not now… Not EVER."

"…Adler! Is the situation that bad?" Irmine asked.

"Yeah, I'm afraid it is… her vitals are alright— she's still breathing, but she's not responding to anything… She helps me control this NEXT. If she's like this… Ahh…oww.!"

"What the hell's wrong out there, Adler?!"

"AMS Feedback… Zephy's taking damage… I can't… the controls… they're..!"

"Lynx Adler..! You've got problems— Tank Class are on you..!" Tsuki's voice came over the communicator.

"T-tank class?! Those things?! Dammit!"

"You might sustain a little friendly fire from this, but it'll save you from the immediate danger…!" Tsuki said, as NSS-Galaxy boosted through a wave of enemies via Overed-boost as it just had come back online. "Targeting the Tank-class with the GAN01-SS-WGP…Firing. Don't flinch, Adler!" NSS-Galaxy began unloading a storm of bullets in Zephiris's direction, quickly terminating the Tank-class that had gotten a hold of the NEXT.

"Thanks… Tsuki. But… you've left the Giga Base undefended…!" Adler said, his voice showing his pain.

"No! I can't..!" Tsuki said, as he turned back towards the Giga Base, tearing apart enemies with his NEXT as he did.

"This is Eagle. My NEXT is out of Ammo. RTB." William voiced.

"Acknowledged, Eagle… Lynx Adler, what's your status?" Maria's voice was almost calming for Adler to hear.

"Not good. With Selene passed out, I can hardly move this NEXT, much less fight in it."

"Adler, retreat..! That's an order..! NEXT Double Heart will be arriving shortly..! Enemy laser count has diminished..!" Maria's voice was stern. "Arathor— Llad! Cover Adler as he makes his retreat! All units, retreat! Abandon Giga Base 01! We just need to get out of here!"

"Is losing two NEXTs that detrimental to the mission?... Are we going to die…" Adler turned his head to look back at Selene, "I can't believe it… we're…"

"…I don't want to deal with that pain… It's more than I could possibly bear…." Selene words resonated in Adler's head as he looked at her. She was unconscious as far as he could tell, although her hand twitched.

"AUUUGH! I CAN'T FAIL! NOT HERE! NOT UNTIL..!" Adler screamed.

"Initiating Plan-D."

"Huh?! Selene—?" Adler thought he heard Selene's voice, but suddenly a surge of energy caused him to lose consciousness. His world seemed to shift and distort as everything went black.

"This is Maria Summers to NEXT Zephiris… we're detecting even greater Amazigh-type radiation-! That much Kojima contamination is just too dangerous!… wait a second… AMS reading at two-hundred seventy percent!? That can't be right, even with two pilots! If you've regained control of Zephiris, get the hell out of there!"

"Kill… Kill… Kill… Kill…. MUST KILL…! UNKNOWNS… BETA..! THE ENEMY!" Selene's voice cracked over the communicator- the Kojima radiation from Zephiris was interfering with the communications.

"NEXT Zephiris! What the hell is going on!? You've been given an order to retreat!" Maria yelled, but got no response. Zephiris began boosting rapidly and methodically, slicing down enemy after enemy. "What the hell…? Third-Stage Quick Boosts? That shouldn't even be possible..! Not even for a Lynx of their caliber!"

"Adler?" Llad asked, as he fired an Ogoto round into a group of laser-class. "Just what the hell is going on? Answer me, Adler!"

"…" Only a crackling sound could be heard from Zephiris's communications, and the visual link was filled with static. Zephiris kept it's assault, rapidly striking down enemy after enemy. It was beautiful as it was horrifying- the NEXT performed maneuvers that were unheard of and insane. It effortlessly dodged everything swung at it, and even avoided the laser-class's fire.

"We may have lost communication with them, but it seems they're—" Tsuki said, "No! It can't be..! Giga Base 01! Respond!" He looked in horror as he realized, the enemy had reached the immobilized Giga Base- and already most of the defense units were being torn apart— only the GAME-Quasars were still operational. In addition, there were several fort-class surrounding the AF.

"AAGH! IT HURTS! THEY'RE EATING ME!" A terrified, pained voice cried out. "SOMEONE HELLP! AHH—!"

"The enemy is inside the Giga Base?!" Maria cried. "Someone do something!"

"What the hell is that thing!? It looks like some kind of two-legged Elepha— Aagh!"

"Shoot it! Quickly!"

"Damn! It's fast—! I can't hi—!"

"How many of these things are there!?"

"Ah! Stay back! No..! No!"

Cries of terror and pain permeated the communications as the crew of the Giga Base was overrun. "…Lynx Tsuki, Engage Assault Armor at the point marked. We can't risk any more of these… things getting on board..! Already we've lost too many…!" Major Irmine ordered. "We're making preparations for extraction, but if we're overtaken by the enemy— Forget it. Just follow the order, Lynx!"

"R-right!" Tsuki replied as he moved his NEXT into position. "Activating Assault Armor!" The NEXT cracked with energy, as its Primal Armor was sucked into its Overed Booster. The resultant wave of Kojima particles ignited the enemy, and blasted the enemies into a fine mist of Kojima-contaminated biological matter. "…Targets eliminated."

"It didn't kill the Fort-class!" Maria yelled out. "Tsuki!" She cried as she watched one of the forts shoot out a tentacle, its massive stinger attached. The stinger slammed into NSS-Galaxy, directly impacting the core. "…Tsuki!... NSS-Galaxy… AP is reading zero… cockpit breached…"

"Agh…!" Tsuki responded. "I-I'm… alive? Dammit… the NEXT is dead…! Wait… what's that liquid that's—AHH! IT'S HOT! IT'S— AGH! It's burning through my—! I've got to…! AHH! IT—A-acid?! Get it off! Someone..! HELP! Please…!"

"That's…" Maria broke into tears as she watched through her operator's station. "…Just shut that monitor off! I can't watch…!" She began reaching for the controls to shut off the monitor which was displaying a distinct image of Cadet Tsuki's body being eaten away by the acid that had flowed into his cockpit- already having removed her headset which was filled with Tsuki's pained screams. However, just before she could hit the switch, a blast of flame engulfed Tsuki and his NEXT. Looking at the view from Giga Base 01, what had finished him off became apparent— NEXT Arathor was hovering about ten meters off the ground, its VTF missiles and laser blade armed. The Fort-class that had struck Tsuki, lie in a crumpled heap, sliced several times. Hovering near Arathor was Zephiris.

"Llad… Adler…" Maria said, tears in her eyes, "Thank you…"

"Zephiris… Return to base." Llad said. "You are no longer needed on this battlefield."

"…I must destroy…no… I must…" Selene's voice was heard over the communicator. "…It hurts… please…"

"Selene!?" Maria called out, "Selene..! Please respond..! What's going on!?"

"…GA, Arisawa Forces… This is Victoria. NEXT Double Heart..! What's the condition on the battlefield?"

"… This is GA Arms Fort unit to Victoria..! We're retreating— this enemy is simply too powerful..! There's just too many of them..!" Major Irmine said.

"What?"

"There's still well over… Twenty thousand targets… we've had one NEXT have to return to base for Ammo, we've lost one Giga Base we're currently trying to figure out how to perform a successful rescue operation for the few surviving crew members. We've lost over forty percent of the Normals, and nearly all of our standard weapons— and one of our Lynx was just killed. Another is nearly out of ammo, and the last seems to have cut off communications and is behaving erratically… If you wish to abandon the mission, feel free- otherwise, aid in the retreat." Irmine's words were strangely solid, yet, worry filled. "You! Stop that one..! Wait..! A—" His transmission ended abruptly.

"Major Irmine!" Maria cried out. "It can't be—!..!"

"Operator of GA forces— is the situation really that dire!?"

"Yes…" Maria's response was practically a sob.

"Is that so?" Victoria had a strange determination in her voice. "I see then… Double Heart, engaging!"

"Victoria… be careful. GA hasn't given us any information on the enemy..!" Another female voice was heard. "This is the operator of Double Heart- GA forces, can you transmit what tactical data you have on the enemy force in this point of the battle?"

"…I can, but I'm not sure what good that'll do…!" Maria responded.

"…Help… me…" Selene muttered. "Make it… stop…"

"Selene! Get a hold of yourself.. Zephiris is at twenty percent AP..! Stop fighting! Don't get yourself and Adler killed!... I know you're in pain… I know you don't have much time left to live… but Adler—!" Llad called out.

"Llad… Adler…! Adler!" Selene seemed to respond. "Llad… Adler's passed out… I— I initiated Plan-D… I… had no other choice… I…"

"What? Selene! You're not making any sense! Adler's passed out—? Get that NEXT of there… and get it out of combat mode immediately! " Llad replied. "Double Heart has arrived— Me and her can cover the escape! Go! If you… can understand what I'm saying, get back to base!"

_Nighttime  
Yokohana Colony Base__—__ Medical Facility _

"Uh… where… where am I?" Adler said, his speech slurred, "Why does my head hurt so much?" He held his hand over his forehead.

"Hey… you finally came to. You alright, man?" Llad said, a hint of relief in his voice.

"Yeah… I think… I take it… I'm back at the base then… So…"

"Don't ask about earlier… you're better off not knowing."

"Is… Selene alright?"

"She appears to be… she's in the room over. I'll go get her for you."

"Thanks… I really should talk to her."

"After what happened, I don't blame you."

"Selene…" Adler closed his eyes as Llad left the room. "What exactly happened… it was like some kind of nightmare or something…" He tried to get a grasp on his thoughts, but simply couldn't- everything was too much of a blur for him to remember.

"Adler!" Selene's voice was clear, and it snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Selene..? You're alright… You-you're…"

"I'm fine Adler… I'm sorry… I put you through that…"

"Put me through what?"

"Earlier… I… I just couldn't take it… The images... Those things… I initiated Plan-D without thinking…"

"What do you mean…?"

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"…I suppose that's good then… you'll be able to forget the terrible things that…" She collapsed towards Adler.

"Selene…!" He called out her name as she started to fall, and rolled out of the bed to catch her. "You… you're…"

"I'm alright… but…" She looked up, her eyes shining oddly for a few moments. "I'm sorry… I'm just glad you're ok, Adler… we lived… when so many others did not…" she began to cry softly.

"Selene… don't cry about it..!"

"But… Tsuki…! Irmine! The others…!"

Adler's eyes narrowed, as he realized that he, even though he had been unconscious for the past few hours, he was extremely tired for some reason. "…Selene… you're still alive… that's all I need…" he said, as he climbed back into his bed. "It's not like…"

"Not like what, Adler..?" Selene asked, as she realized he had fallen back to sleep. "I guess… I'll find out tomorrow…"

* * *

**Author's Note: **This just in: MTs are trash. Quasars can't move for beans. Hey! People! Read and Review!


	6. See you on the Eurofront, Day 1

**Chapter 2: **_**I'll see you… On the Eurofront!**_

* * *

_****__Day 1 (Seventeen Days since the Richland Operation) - Mid Morning  
Unknown Location- somewhere on the European battle lines_

"Wow… he's that fast?!" A sharp, yet cheery, female voice called out. "I can't get a bead on him at all...!"

"Keep your cool, Aerilynn...! Of course Adler is going to be fast, he's piloting a TYPE-Lahire— and it's built for speed." Another female voice responded. "But our TYPE-Siones should be able to keep up…"

"Heh… Paying that much attention to your allies and not enough to your surroundings…" Adler scoffed.

"Target NEXT: _Freyja_ is in sight." Selene said, "We can hit her...!"

"Let's go, Zephiris!" Adler yelled as he slammed Zephiris' boosters, and charged towards a green TYPE-Sione. It responded in kind, boosting forward, skimming the tops of the trees. "…It surprises me just how fast _Freyja_ is… that NEXT is armed with Arisawa's Oigami Large Grenade cannon."

"Lunaterisa pilots a TYPE-Sione… they all do, after all…"

"What!? How'd they get behind me!?" The second voice, Lunaterisa, called out. "Aeri! What were you doing!?"

"Watch out, Adler, _Hrist_ has us in her sights. Be ready, she'll fire her Phact at us…! Abandon the attack on _Freyja_! If we get caught by the full sniping capabilities she has, Aerilynn will rip us to shreds!"

"Right..!" Adler said, chaining his charge into a sideways quick boost. "…Their teamwork is as impressive as always. It was surprising to see Kagami fail the way she did."

"…We're locked— Aerilynn and Lunaterisa have us in their sights—!"

"The problem is Lunaterisa. That Large Grenade Cannon will be the end of us if it connects… How many shots has she fired?"

"Three. All of them were misses. One resulted in friendly fire- she struck _Brunnhilde _directly, resulting in Kagami's elimination in our follow-up attack."

"…Damn! So we have to evade seven more shots?!"

"Given their objective is the destruction of XAF 'Kushina', that's actually not an option for them."

"Speaking of, how long until that thing shows up?"

"Kushina arrives to the combat zone in forty three seconds."

"…Only forty three seconds left to play with them, then..!"

"Adler…"

"Hey, girls, see if you can keep up!" Adler yelled, as he activated Zephiris' Overed boost and tore into the mountains, evading a 049ANSC shot from Aerilynn's Hrist and a Wadou round from Lunaterisa's Freyja.

"We won't be able to evade Large Grenade Cannon fire here..!"

"The point isn't to evade it. If they use it, we win. You've made a point. Without the Oigami, they cannot defeat 'Kushina'… besides even in the current scenario, playing the Omer force isn't in my idea of 'fun'."

"But… is giving up really necessary..? Do you hate Omer that much, Adler…?"

"Do you have to ask me that, Selene? You of anyone should know the answer…"

"Besides, this is just training… I… we… wouldn't be in this position if this were the real deal."

"We're going to continue to be the fictional enemy if you give up, Adler. The Executive Officer won't let us even deploy against the Kushina simulator if you keep that attitude."

"Then why they hell did the Union hire me?!"

"Just focus on the battle…! Twelve seconds until the Kushina enters the battlefield."

"Twelve seconds until… that _thing_ shows up…"

"They're closing— but Zephy's EN is recharged. If you're looking to drag this out longer, until the Kushina shows up… huh?"

-SIMULATION TERMINATED-  
-Victor: Omer-

"What?! Did the Valkyries give up!?"

"Ugh! Adler!" A high-pitched voice called out. "Dammit! You dragged that battle out on purpose!"

"I think that was kind of the point. Do you really think Omer will let us have a real chance at destroying their Main Arms Fort? Besides, it was a three on one battle! What else was I supposed to do!? Roll over and die?"

"…I don't know..! But that's just not fair, Adler!"

"…You're just angry because Lunaterisa took you out of the fray, Kagami!"

"Sh-shut up...! And Lunaterisa! What gives!? You dropped that Oigami shell right on me!"

"…Good to see the three idiots of the Union are still the same Lynx. Although, you guys should get a bit better eventually maybe that will help you actually be able to beat a single NEXT…"

"You only won because you cheated and ran away from the fight… you ran away, like you always do, Adler!" Kagami exclaimed. "If you didn't just run away the whole time, we would've had you _and_ the Kushina!"

"Calm down, Kagami! It's just a simulator!" Adler laughed. He closed his eyes and smiled. "We're only going to be here for a couple weeks, then it's right back to Yokohana… but it really feels like home."

"Did you say something Adler?" Selene said, as she climbed out of her simulator seat, following Adler.

"No, I was just thinking… but still, it's good to be back…!"

"It is, but… after seeing Anatolia the other day… and thinking about what Victoria said…"

"Don't mention Victoria or anything about Yokohana, please. I know we've got fight with the BETA on our hands over there, but I'd rather not remember it."

"Ok… by the way, Adler, you still haven't told me what you meant back in the medical room…"

"…What?"

"You said, '…Selene… you're still alive… that's all I need… it's not like…'"

"I don't remember saying that. But I think I meant, well… you're important to me…"

"Hey, Adler, are you still _just_ hitting on Selene?" Lunaterisa said slyly. "You two have been together since _when?!_"

"Jeez. You're still at it, aren't you, Luna? You and Llad, both!"

"You've seen Llad since he left here!?"

"Yeah, me and him have been working together at Arisawa's Yokohana Colony."

"So, I guess he was in that battle at Richland then..?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me… did he live? I heard a few Lynx got killed in that mess…"

"Llad's alive… it was _May Greenfield_ and _Tsuki Masato_ who died out there…" Adler started to have tears well up in his eyes, "Dammit… I just asked Selene to not bring up that stuff…"

"May..? No… That's just sad… she was an enemy, but… no one wanted her to die. Not even the big shots in the Union. No clue who Tsuki is though… that name sounds Japanese. Is he from Arisawa?"

"Hey, Yashiro Kagami sounds Japanese too, and she's with the Union… come to think of it, wasn't Kasumi Sumika… err, Serene Haze?"

"Yes… Strayed's Operator was one of the Union's Originals… So he wasn't? Full on GA then?"

"No, you're right, he was from Arisawa. He… _was_ a cadet in the New Sunshine Program…"

"…He wanted to meet you three… He was going to become an independent after graduating the program, just so he could…" Selene said her voice low. "… Him and his adopted daughter Ciani."

"Oh… that's just sad…" Lunaterisa looked down, her medium length, scruffy, pine green hair falling forward. "I never knew we had fans outside the Union. I just assumed everyone hated us."

"No, it's just the morons at Omer who hate you guys. You're using their TYPE-Siones against them… and given Arisawa and Omer's… relationship, it's a given you'd get a few fans on that side."

"…But we're GA's enemy too…"

"Not as it seems there- of course, the big shots don't trust the Union, especially not after the events of the economic war, but the way everyone sees it, the Interior-Omer war is just too big for it to be of a concern."

"You're right about that. The Interior hasn't had us even harass GA forces- not even Alaska. They mostly just have us fighting Omer ever since we pulled off that raid at Noginsk— and that's why they went out of their way to hire you. Of course, if we do destroy the Kushina…"

"…I'm surprised they didn't hire Llad- he was the real hero of that battle." Adler looked down as he spoke, "I didn't do anything. Shooting up Normals and MTs doesn't account for a whole lot, when Llad is out there fighting three NEXTS and an Eclipse."

"I'm surprised too! They hired the coward instead of the real deal..!" Kagami shouted. "…The brass have no idea what they're doing!"

"Are you really going at that still, Kagami!?"

"…You cheated, Adler! ...We should've won…"

"Llad would've done the same thing… there's no way for a single NEXT to take on all three of you at once directly- you've got that down, but if we manage a break away, you three fall apart- and then…"

"Whoa..! Ah!" Aerilynn yelled out, followed by a loud crash. "Whoops…!"

"Aeri! Are you alright?!" Lunaterisa exclaimed as she ran over to the klutzy silver-haired girl who had stumbled out of the simulator and nearly fell over the railing.

"I'm fine," Aerilynn giggled. "That… happens all the time."

"Jeez. Just how the hell can you be _that_ clumsy and be the sniper that you are… that just amazes me." Adler said. "Although, skill at controlling a NEXT and skill at walking are two different things."

"…Way to waste your fortified suit, Aeri!" Kagami exclaimed. "You tore it open. The impact gel is oxidizing…It's no good now."

"It's just the center part, so it shouldn't be an issue." Lunaterisa said, helping Aerilynn to her feet. "Besides, the Fortified suits are always supposed to fail at that point… it's thin so that in emergencies, it can be removed easily. Of course, this is the second one she's scrapped in a week."

"I feel sorry for the maintenance crew… oxidized Impact gel is hard to clean." Adler laughed as he looked at the gel that was spilled out of the tear in Aeri's fortified suit, which was dripping to the ground forming a milky white substance as the chemical reacted with the air.

"Anyways, Adler, the XO has already authorized you to deploy as a main operative in the next Kushina simulation. We'll use data gathered from you to simulate the suspected Lynx, 'Cain' and his Kerberos, as well as the already known data for 'Michael' and NEXT Shatterstone. You better not be a coward then!" Kagami exclaimed. "…I'm going to the PX. I'm absolutely starved. Be back in three hours."

"Hmm… wait, why are they using my data for Kerberos?"

"Oh, 'Cain'… he pilots a blade-oriented NEXT, just like you. His is a strange design though. It's a TYPE-Lahire, like yours, and similarly he has the Union made Latona arms, but his weapons, um… weapon I should say— it's a singular EB-O305. Here's a full layout. Your retinal projection system should display it." Lunaterisa said, "We don't know much about the way he fights- just that he'll probably act as support for the Kushina, so you can tell why we needed your data."

"…HD-Holofernes, CR-Lahire, A11-Latona, LG-Lahire… It's got the same booster layout as Zephiris, same generator and FCS too. But it only has one EB-O305 and no ACB-O710. Is this 'Cain' some kind of moron!? That design will never work! He's not ranked, but I guess, unlike me and Selene it's not due to lack of effort." Adler muttered to himself. "The other target is Rank Twelve, 'Shatterstone'. That NEXT is pretty brutal. It's an Algebra-based NEXT, but it's really a conglomeration, like Llad's Arathor. Integrated Shotgun arms, a Gatling Cannon and lots of missiles…"

"Hey, Adler, let's join them… I'm kind of hungry." Selene said.

"Huh? Oh…! Alright."

"Hey, Adler, are you and Selene headed to the PX as well? You remember where it is?" Aerilynn asked. "You two haven't been on this base in a long time…"

"Yeah, I remember- this base may have Twenty-Nine Basement floors, but it's not like any of it is confusing."

_Afternoon  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Operations Briefing Room_

"Alright, Lynx. This operation is to eliminate the Main Arms Fort belonging to Omer Science Technology. Now that the BETA have destroyed our 'Cloud of Eden', the battle has tipped severely in Omer's favor. The target is 'XAF-Kushina'. Kushina is a state of the art Arms Fort armed with a powerful Primal Armor system. While the Primal Armor is active, getting near the Kushina is near suicide- as the hyper dense activated Kojima particles will destroy your NEXT in mere seconds. Due to the Primal Armor, long range attacks against the Arms Fort are also ineffective." A woman with long, wavy, tan-brown hair, in an Interior Union's officer's uniform explained as images of Omer's AF unit were displayed on a screen behind her.

"That much defensive capability on one Arms Fort? I've heard Main Arms Forts are tough, but I've never seen or heard of something quite like this." Adler said to himself.

"The Kushina has the ability to project its Primal Armor capabilities to nearby allies. While units protected by the Kushina aren't nearly as defended, it's a powerful defense. Even TYPE-Argine Normals are as difficult to deal with as light NEXTs when the Kushina is supporting them. Naturally this extra Primal Armor is an asset to NEXTs as well- and it's understood that the Kushina will deploy one or two NEXTs during combat to account for its lack of direct firepower."

"Ah, I get it; the Kushina is all focused on Defense. The NEXTs, like what I simulated are there to act as its sword."

"However, despite lacking the normal weaponry afforded to a Main Arms Fort, the Kushina does not lack offensive capability. It has several point weapons, including 'ELX-OA99 Chain Railguns'- we've confirmed the existence of at least four of these weapons. They can destroy a NEXT in moments, but lack any real threat due to their limited firing arcs. Just avoid their line of fire. In addition, the two large pods on the side of the AF are a massive missile barrage. While we would expect to see something like this from GA, Omer has implemented it into their strategy. It's likely that the Kushina can fire Kojima missiles from these pods, so be extremely careful."

"Missiles and rapid-fire Railguns… so much for not having much of an offense."

"Its main weapon, however, is an Assault Cannon."

"An Assault Cannon? Like Torus's Lethaldose?"

"The Kushina's Assault Cannon, much to its name is an Assault Armor focusing weapon. It fires a massive wave of charged Kojima Particles forward- and lays waste to everything in front of the AF. Anything directly in its path will be obliterated by the weapon's destructive force directly; anything else within a certain distance of the cannon will be exposed to intense radiation. This radiation will kill you within seconds… it goes without saying that you must avoid being in front of the Kushina when it fires. Furthermore, anything directly behind the Kushina will ripped apart by the weapon's recoil counter-balance."

"Jeez. That's insane!"

"However, after firing its Assault Cannon, the Kushina will become temporarily vulnerable to attack. It may have PA capabilities that far and away surpass a NEXT, but due to certain difficulties in the Kushina's operation, it will not be able to rectify its PA for Two-and-a-half minutes upon the firing of the Assault Cannon and won't reach full rectification for four. Do note that while the Kushina can be approached during the minute and a half between the start of the PA rectification and its completion, it will degrade your own Primal Armor and damage your machine."

"Wow. The Assault Cooldown on the Kushina is that long? That's not very impressive, Omer. The Answerer's was what…? Fifteen seconds?"

"Further data suggests that the AF will not be able to move during this cooldown, despite its speed while it's active. We believe that you should be able to take advantage of this fact." The woman said, "As none of our NEXT pilots have returned alive from encounters with the Kushina, we have to take this operation very seriously. Yes, this is just a simulator mission, but it goes without saying that we need you to treat this like it was the actual mission."

"Yes, Colonel!" The three Valkyries saluted in unison, followed shortly by Adler and Selene.

"The operation is fairly standard. Omer forces are predictable enough. The NEXTs will enter the battlefield as a vanguard for the Arms Fort. We need you to engage and destroy the target NEXTs before the Kushina arrives or else you will face severe difficulty in destroying the AF. Once the Kushina arrives, our Drone AF unit will bait the Kushina into firing its Assault Cannon, allowing you a chance to destroy the beast. The Drone AF lacks EN defense and cannot act properly if there is an enemy NEXT. Keep that in mind: You must destroy the enemy NEXTs. It's believed that the Omer forces will deploy a large number of TYPE-Argine Normals as well as NASR and HYMENOPTERA attack craft. Ignore the smaller targets if possible. Don't waste ordinance on them. The objective is the AF."

"Of course, it's Omer's Aerial Brigade."

"Well, it's not like we haven't heard that briefing before…" Kagami said with a sigh, "I suppose having the coward here means we had to hear it again, considering they didn't explain the capabilities of the AF to him when he was being a fictional enemy."

"Hey, it's not my fault the base XO had to get me to play the bad guy. And will you drop that damn 'coward' thing, Ya-shi-ro?"

"My name is 'Kagami', Adler!" she exclaimed. "And no, I'm not dropping it, you cowardly cheater! You only won the earlier simulation because you ran away the whole time...!"

"Hey, how'd you escape that black Type-Sione during the Noginsk raid?"

"That's totally different, Adler! We didn't even have weapons!"

"Hardly— the only thing you could do in that situation was run, right? Well, if I tried to take on all three of you at once, I'd lose, so my only way to win is to run and try to separate you three and take you on one-by-one. Yes, Zephiris can destroy a Type-Sione in one or two solid hits, but the auto-correction process from getting hit would prevent me from landing them. It's not like I left the combat zone or anything."

"…You two still are going at it?" Lunaterisa asked. "Anyways, we've got to get to our NEXTs. We're going to use JIVES for this."

"You have that much data on the Kushina? Shatterstone? Kerberos?" Adler asked, astonished that the JIVES combat simulation system was going to be used.

"Yep…!" Aerilynn said, "Although, in getting it, the Union has lost at least five Lynx and several Arms Forts, and… I don't even know how many Normals."

"You sound awfully happy about that, Aeri…" Lunaterisa responded. "…Although, I suppose…"

"Either way, at our next shot, that statistic is going to change…!" Adler said, "I swore, for all things that happened… I'm going to make Omer pay for what they've done. We won't fail against the Kushina...!"

"Such determination… I was worried that after what happened in Richland, you'd have lost it, Adler," The Colonel said, "Good to see you still are the same Lynx you were last year."

"Please don't bring up what happened there…"

_Late Afternoon  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Training Field_

"This is Lyons Command to Valkyries and Adler. Now beginning operation. Starting JIVES…!" A forward sounding female voice said. "Test Operation Excalibur… Start!"

"Adler, you lead the charge. Your NEXT is by far the fastest. It's even faster than Kagami's Brunnhilde." Lunaterisa said, "And remember our strengths. Try to lure the enemy NEXTs into our line of fire."

"Just don't nail us with that Large Grenade Cannon, Luna." Adler quickly responded. "And as irritating as she is, don't nail Kagami either. Brunnhilde's twin GAN01-SS-WGP Gatling Cannons are needed in eliminating the enemy's PA and those missiles she's got are good too."

"Adler…Valkyries. I've detected the enemy NEXTs… NEXT Shatterstone and NEXT Kerberos confirmed." Selene said, "NEXT Kerberos is closing fast."

"He's a blader, alright. But… only one blade and no support boosters… He's lacking in top speed. He's got acceleration, but that doesn't necessarily translate into maneuverability...! Valkyries! Kerberos is mine! Take out Shatterstone!"

"Why do you get to have all the fun, Adler?!" Kagami shouted, "Oh well, when we've finished off this monkey, we'll back you up."

"Fine. I'm not doing this for honor or anything. Hurry up and take out Shatterstone."

"Target NEXT is closing fast." Selene said, "Adler, he's coming in for a blade attack."

"We'll counter with one of our own...! I aim to be finished with this guy before they're done with Shatterstone!" Kerberos charged at Zephiris, its quick boosts chaining rapidly as it closed distance at a frightening speed. Zephiris dodged with a precise quick boost and both NEXTs did quick turns as they passed one another. "He really is using our data… how irritating. But his NEXT design is… so inferior!" Zephiris's boosters fired, the NEXT jumped forward at an immense speed. "In a contest between bladers, it's decided in one solid blow… but we have a trick."

"You're going to use it?" Selene asked, as Zephiris and Kerberos both slashed at each other, and dodged effortlessly away their blades not even grazing each other's Primal Armor.

"We didn't have it installed for nothing." Adler responded, firing off a charge and a twin-blade slash which Kerberos dodged by boosting straight up into the air.

"The original idea was to use it against BETA… you know that it's not good in NEXT to NEXT combat." Selene's words showed deep signs of concern.

"NEXT to NEXT combat isn't often a blader contest, though. We'll both be right on top of each other...!" Both NEXTs fired their quick-boosts simultaneously, but both dodged erratically before their BlueXS FCS units could achieve a lock.

"Ah… it's just…"

"If you think we shouldn't use it, Selene…"

"No, it's not that…"

"Well, then, what's your concern?"

"Nothing, Adler. He's doubling around again— if you aim to use it, do so with this strike: The Valkyries have NEXT Shatterstone locked down, and twenty-one seconds until the Kushina arrives."

"Only twenty-one!? That's way too fast...! No way has this fight dragged on that long already!"

"It's not the same simulation as last time. The Kushina is approaching significantly faster…!"

"I wonder if the Valkyries know that..?"

"I think they do…" Selene said, "NEXT Kerberos is now approaching the Canyon…!"

"Perfect..! No more running, Kerberos!" Adler shouted as he engaged his Overed Boost in pursuit of the target NEXT. "It's over!" Zephiris achieved a lock as the canyon reached a bend, it charged, both of its Eltanin blades cracking with energy. The sensor unit on Zephiris's head slid in, as its rectifiers extended. "Activating Assault Armor!" The surge of Kojima energy slammed into Kerberos, stripping it of its Primal Armor moments before the twin energy blades sliced into the craft.

"…Kerberos is severely damaged... but still operationa—" Selene didn't finish her sentence before a singular high-speed round shot down the canyon and impacted Kerberos, directly in the NEXT's core unit, destroying it. "…Target destroyed. The shot came from a significant distance. It was Hrist."

"Nice shot, Aerilynn...!"

"NEXT Shatterstone also confirmed down… NEXT Brunnhilde at Forty-three percent AP; Freyja at Eighty-four percent; Hrist is still at full. Relaying ammunition counts for the three Valkyries."

"They're doing well enough… we should be able to win."

'CODE: 792!' a siren went off in the NEXT. Code 792, the high-density Kojima Particle warning. "XAF Kushina entering the combat zone." Selene said her voice uncharacteristically monotone. "Adler… we have to be careful. Our PA will not rectify in this environment."

XAF Kushina towered over the surroundings: it was clearly larger than a Giga Base, and similar to the Eclipse or Answerer, it flew. The center of the AF was strangely human-like, not unlike a core, but it was significantly larger. The center was clearly a massive, heavily crimson-colored, armored portion built around the AF's Assault Cannon, and PA rectifiers, which glowed with a sickly green color as they emitted massive amounts of Kojima energy. It lacked arms, and instead had two large missile pods, which made the machine's upper portion seem oddly cross-shaped, but it wasn't quite like the Answerer. It had two backswept 'legs', which housed its two of its four 'ELX-OA99 Chain Railguns', one on each leg, and several smaller weapons. It had a third, tail like leg that was significantly shorter, angled downward, and only armed with light chain-guns. The extreme top of the AF had a head-like vane- an array of sensors were aligned with smaller, but still significant PA rectifiers in an 'x'-shape. This structure was set forward and was topped by a large triangular tail, similar to the one on the bottom of the AF. This head-crest had several red sensors, similar to the forward array, but they were not nearly as numerous, and at the top the AF's other two Chain Railguns were mounted. The craft as a whole was incredibly bulky, especially considering Omer built it, but at the same time, it showed signs of Omer's distinct craftsmanship- it was bulky, yet rounded and aerodynamic looking.

"THAT'S the Kushina?!" Adler exclaimed.

"First time seeing it, Adler?" Lunaterisa's voice was calm and collected. "Yes. That's the monster of eastern Europe, the Kushina."

"…It's impressive, to say the least, but… I'm going to tear it to pieces!" Adler replied.

"Just remember the briefing. We need to wait for our Drone Giga Base Unit to get the thing to fire. Just focus on evading the enemy's attacks...!" Lunaterisa responded to Adler's determined statement.

"It's strange, you run from us, yet aren't scared in the least when faced with an AF!?" Kagami said.

"Anyone would run from you, Kagami! Besides, I Just. Hate. Omer." Adler said, as Zephiris cut down a TYPE-Argine.

"What did you say, Adler!?" Kagami exclaimed, her Type-Sione unleashing a barrage of Vermillion01 missiles at another Normal, and firing a quartet of Scylla AS missiles at the same time- the latter locking onto a pair of NASR attack craft.

"Drone AF entering the combat zone." Selene said, "Get ready for the Kushina's Assault Cannon."

"The Giga Base has arrived! Get to the sides—to the rear of the Kushina or you'll be cooked by that Assault Cannon!" Lunaterisa said. "This is the first time we've successfully gotten to this phase of the operation with all present NEXTs active...! Let's not screw this up!"

"Drone AF commencing bombardment...! Stay clear of the railgun rounds!" Selene spoke on the open channel.

"Selene said something to all of us!?" Kagami said, "She normally only talks to Adler on missions! Adler! Did something happen to Selene!?"

Adler's mind was immediately filled with images of what had occurred a couple weeks ago, during the failed Richland operation. Images that he did not want to remember. "No. She's always been friendly with you three." He said with a strange confidence, even though he knew he was lying.

"I suppose, but I've never heard her speak on an open channel during a mission, either." Lunaterisa said. "And it's not like this is the first mission we've done with you two."

"…The enemy AF is preparing to fire the Assault Cannon." Selene said. "All allies are in position to strike… Adler, finish this as soon as it fires…!"

"Selene...? Is something wrong?"

"No… I'm fine… Adler, focus… the Kushina…!"

"Aerilynn! You're out of position! You'll get fried by the Kushina's Assault Cannon!" Lunaterisa exclaimed, noticing that Hrist was drifting between the safe zone and the high-intensity radiation area. "Worry about shot positioning after the thing fire— WHAT?!" A blaring siren went off in all four actual NEXTs, signaling the end of the active simulation: 'CODE: 991'.

"Code Nine-Nine-One!? Unknown enemies?!" Adler exclaimed, "Is it an Omer offensive?!"

"…This is Lieutenant Colonel Mary from Lyons Base to all NEXTs in Training Operation Excalibur! There is a large unknown force approaching thru the Gear Tunnel to that location...! Abandon the operation and get back to base- get ready to intercept!" An audio-video transmission was sent to the Lynx, showing the woman who had given the Lynx their briefing earlier.

"…This is Lynx Adler...! Do you have any detail on the enemy?"

"Unfortunately, nothing specific. Due to consistent sabotage, only seismic monitoring and Kojima scanning is available within the Gear Tunnel. The vibrations reveal that the incoming force is rather large; there are roughly Five-thousand signatures. A large number of the signatures match MT-sized or Tank-sized objects, and another portion carry weight heavier than the average Normal."

"Five-thousand individual signatures in the Gear Tunnel!?"

"No Kojima radiation detected, so we do not have reason to believe that the enemy is operating any NEXTs or Ursragna Mobile Fortresses, and intends on attacking Lyons with sheer numbers." Lieutenant Colonel Mary said, "Adler, you're in Zephiris, correct?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"We've got a mission for you. Unlike the Valkyries, your NEXT only needs to reboot to switch from JIVES-Training mode to live Combat mode. With this in mind, we want you to play as vanguard. Do not engage them directly—!" Mary was cut off as an explosion occurred in the distance. Only static encompassed her transmission.

"Dammit! They knocked out our communications!" Adler shouted, "Valkyries! Get out of here...! I'm restarting Zephiris into Combat mode! I'll cover things on this end."

"I don't want to take an order from a coward! But… don't die or run away before we get back, Adler!" Kagami replied, as Brunnhilde turned around, and began to start its retreat.

"…I see red. An endless sea of red…" Selene's words were strange. "…gather...?" she seemed to shake. "Gather what?" She asked in vain. "…No! We must kill them, Adler!"

"Kill who?!" Adler asked, turning around to see that Selene's eyes were glazed over, her face emotionless and strained. "SELENE!? What do you mean?!"

"ADLER! WHAT ARE THOSE!?" Aerilynn exclaimed, as Hrist started backpedaling away from the source of the explosion.

Adler turned around, and reset his view. "…No! Not here... that's… it can't be...!"

"Hurry… Adler… we must kill them...!"

"…Destroyers!? The Five thousand signatures were…? BETA?!"

"…Destroyers?" Aerilynn asked, "Those don't look like any ships I've ever seen. They don't look even human."

"…It's the BETA! They're attacking from the Gear Tunnel?!"

"BETA!? The things that destroyed the Cloud of Eden and caused a mess over in Richland?!"

"Those shells, though… they're not the solid green ones we saw back in Richland… they've got strange markings on them… but those are definitely Destroyer-class BETA— Ruitare if what Tadashiro had to say was correct, and dammit, he better be…"

"I… don't believe it...! Lyons…under attack by BETA?!" Kagami spoke, her voice stuttering.

"You three! You don't have any ammo! Get out of here! Keep low to the ground.. And keep your eyes on the energy spike warnings…!"

"The BETA have high-intensity lasers...They took down the Cloud of Eden… that kind of firepower could destroy a NEXT in moments...!" Lunaterisa said, "Valkyries…!" The three Type-Siones engaged overed boost and shot across the ground at high speed. "The average NEXT lives for Twenty Three minutes in an encounter with BETA. That's significantly higher than in an encounter with a Main Arms Fort, but it's only speculation… But we have to be back here before that mark…!"

"You three...!"

"Adler… Zephiris is nearly ready...!" Selene said.

"Don't, whatever you do, Selene… don't do what you did back in Richland…!"

"I… won't…"

"…Selene… I know something is wrong with you." Adler said, "And it's not just the fact that there are BETA here. You've… been different ever since that battle in Richland."

"I'm sorry, Adler." Selene apologized, but her voice was still that strange monotone that she had been speaking in ever since she spoke on the open channel earlier.

"Selene...! I don't know what's wrong with you, but come on...! That…"

"System Entering Combat Mode." The on-board computer voice of Zephiris echoed as the system finished its reboot, and the surroundings became visible once more.

"…Dammit, BETA! I swear, I'll kill every one of you! And when I'm done…! Omer, all of you damn corporate slimeballs better be counting your days!" Adler yelled, engaging Zephiris's boosters. "Five Thousand..? That's nothing compared to the unending storm of BETA at Richland...!"

"Adler…" Selene said. "…The targets are…"

"You wanted me to kill them, right?" Adler asked, swinging Zephiris thru the frontlines of the BETA, rapidly triggering the blades, slicing down enemy after enemy.

"Yes. They… they're…" Selene's voice had dropped its monotone, rather, her words showed a mix of emotions. "… Just kill them."

"If that's what you want… It's not like we have a choice to run away now, anyways." Adler realized his movements had gotten them deep into the enemy's lines. They were completely surrounded.

"…Adler." Selene only said Adler's name as she looked at the surroundings. A vast wall of BETA on all sides. None of the Fort or Heavy Laser class, just the Destroyer, Tank, and Grappler classes BETA, as well as the meaningless Warrior class. She couldn't tell if the enemy even had the Laser class, however, because none were visible, but at the same time, even if they were present, they wouldn't fire on Zephiris then.

"…Selene." Adler's tone had shifted drastically, almost depressed as he spoke, "You made me promise, that if we were to fall, I'd be the one to kill you. I tried to make it clear that I couldn't ever be the one to take your life— so all I can do, is make sure we don't fail. That we return alright from every battle…! So, even now, I'll do what I can to keep that promise." Adler spoke as he set off Zephiris's Assault Armor. The wave of Kojima particles ripped apart the BETA nearby. "Besides, for that day… I swore, I'd see an end. We've yet to reach it...! If killing the BETA will help…! Then I'll kill them, dammit!"

"Adler…!" Selene's voice shifted, "They… don't appear to have the Laser-class."

"What?! They don't!?"

"We can take a hit from it and be fine even if they did...! I'll know in mere seconds…"

"You're suggesting we increase our altitude?"

"Yes… Let's get our PA back above them if we can…!"

"Alright...!" Adler closed his eyes and pulled back on the control, allowing Zephiris to take off from its standing position, but not before, he swung the NEXT's right blade thru the body of a Grappler-class.

"…Eighty-five Meters… Ninety… Ninety-five… One Hundred… One-oh-five… One-ten… One-twenty…" Selene's voice was tranquil as she counted, "…We haven't gotten the signs of an Energy spike… there are no Laser-class present."

"…Energy output is degrading… the I-Rigel really takes its toll on this NEXT… We can't remain in the air..."

"PA rectification beginning… Just keep us in the air when our PA is down, Adler." Selene said as the NEXT descended back onto the ground, "…We've yet to take any real damage. Zephiris's AP is at Ninety-four percent- we took damage from the minor impact with the Destroyer-class earlier."

"…We'll just keep at it— as long as we don't take a head-on charge from a Destroyer, or multiple Grappler swings or get too many Tanks on us without Assault Armor, we should be good…"

"Still there's well over four thousand targets remaining. We can keep cutting them down… but at this rate…! The Vanguard...! It's gotten ahead of the rest of them…! There's about one thousand or more BETA headed for the Base!"

"Without the Laser class, the Normals can handle that...!"

"It may slow down the Valkyries...!"

"...Are you saying we need their help?!"

"No, but…"

"You asked me to kill the BETA, so I'm going to kill the BETA. I don't need the Interior's special squad to do this for me...! I can fight my own battles!"

"Adler…!"

"Selene…! I'm sorry… but…" Adler had Zephiris quickly slash through the body of a Grappler-class, it's claw falling down and impaling a Tank-class, moments before Zephiris's quick boost caused the NEXT to slide effortlessly through its remains and two others. "…this is my fight!"

"Adler…! Stop...! Don't…!" Selene cried. "…I was just being selfish...! You have no reason to force yourself to fight to our deaths here...!" Selene closed her eyes with the camera unit sliding into Zephiris's head as it fired an Assault Armor blast.

"…If I can't take on three, Four thousand BETA… I… as a Lynx…"

"It doesn't matter…! Adler!"

"…If the Valkyries come back… they may just leave the vanguard to the Normals anyways… We must kill as many of these as we can…"

"Adler! Watch out!" Selene shouted, as a Grappler swung its right arm towards Zephiris. Adler fired Zephiris's quick boost, evading the attack before quick turning and striking down the enemy, "Our PA is down! We need to get airborne!"

"…" Adler didn't say anything, he just sighed as Zephiris took to the skies.

"Adler… what is wrong with_ you_?" Selene asked, "I know you're concerned about me… but why are you acting like this?"

Adler didn't respond.

"Adler… I don't want to die. I don't want you to go through that pain… but, if your aim is merely to die before me…" Selene said, her words filled with a sense of sorrow and near pity. "…it's just a way of being a coward."

"Selene…!"

"I know you want to fight, and at the same time, we need to fight to live, but… we're not alone. There's no sense in ignoring that...! If you're fighting for me, then…" Selene cried as she spoke. "Please, Adler…! You know…!"

"…You always tell me to focus on the mission, yet, half the time I can only think of you. Ever since we were little, you've always been there." Adler spoke, as Zephiris dove down, its right-hand blade impaling a destroyer-class. "I became a Lynx because I thought you had been killed at Anatolia— I wanted to be able to take vengeance. But I… found you again… you're still alive…" Adler breathed heavily as he spoke, and swung Zephiris around, slashing through a grappler, a few tank-class, and another destroyer. "…I knew something terrible happened- and it was Omer's fault. But you were still alive. I won't stop until I've…" Zephiris activated its Assault Armor again, dashing into a large group of BETA as it did. "Done all I can…! I don't know what happened back then, or what they did to you. I don't know what the hell 'Plan-D' is, but what I do know, is that these… things are what caused you to…! So… if they need to die...! I'LL KILL THEM ALL! I don't need to rely on the Union. I don't need Arisawa…! I only need you to be here...!"

"Stop it…!" Selene cried. "Adler…! I'm…! We're…—! " Selene's words were cut off by the distinct sound of metal bending and shattering. "…! We've been struck! ...Thirteen-thousand four-hundred-fifty-nine AP gone...! The left lower core stabilizer... completely destroyed. Main Booster is malfunctioning…!"

"What?!" Adler exclaimed "How did any of them survive the Assault Armor?!"

"It was a grappler... it was behind several destroyers when you activated the Assault Armor… Additional Booster, Overed Booster, Side Booster, Back Booster… Leg-main boosters… they're all still functioning normally. Errors in the left arm- the blade is still functioning, but its aim is off...! I'm going to try to recalibrate it…! Watch out, we're being closed in on...!"

"Do we run away...?" Adler asked. "No... We can't do that. Zephiris can't fly right now if the core boosters are shot. Luckily we have that add booster… so we can still fight our way out...!" Adler rotated Zephiris and quickly cut down the grappler-class that had bashed the NEXT.

"Calculating most effective course. We want to avoid encounters with the Tank-class… those can kill us…! Ah…! There's just too many...!"

"Can we still quick boost or quick turn normally?"

"In any direction but forward- we're relying on the ACB-O710 for most of our boosting— unless we activate the Overed Boost, which we can't until the generator returns to normal."

"That's good enough. I'm getting us out of here!" Adler said, as Zephiris cut down a destroyer-class. "I don't plan on dying any time soon. And I won't let you die either...!"

"NEXT signatures detected…! They're faint, but…"

"They're returning this quickly?"

"We've actually been in this battle for roughly twenty-seven minutes…! Enemy count in the immediate area has been reduced by well over a thousand."

"A thousand dead...? Already?"

"Many of them were the insignificant 'Warrior-class'."

"Those elephant-looking things?"

Selene nodded. "Seven seconds until rectification resumes...!"

Adler didn't respond, he merely fired a quick boost to kill a tank class that had gotten onto the legs of Zephiris, and slashed a destroyer to bits in the same motion.

"Primal Armor reactivating… No...!" Selene shouted, clearly alarmed. "Dodge right...! NOW!" She yelled.

"What?!" Adler tried to fire off a quick boost, but was denied immediately by a "Lack of Energy" warning. "Damn!" He noticed the grappler about to swing its large claw into Zephiris, and braced himself for impact, which never came. He opened his eyes and looked to the left. The grappler was slumped over, blood pooling around it. In the distance a blue light faded as the flash of a shot from Hrist's Phact railcannon had just been fired.

"Adler!" Kagami's voice was almost a relief.

"…Kagami, Luna, Aeri...! You're back...!"

"The base's defenses are in full operation...! The only thing that slipped by us were the destroyer class, and the strafing lasers at the base can easily handle those- and what they don't, our Dulakes will." Lunaterisa said, "Adler... what did all that damage? Lasers?"

"There are no laser class here...! Nor fort class."

"So, the skies are ours then? Well, what did all that to you? None of the BETA should be fast enough to keep up with Zephiris."

"I got careless. Luckily you three saved me…"

"I guess that says we're big damn heroines." Kagami laughed as Brunnhilde took to the skies and began firing a stream of bullets down on to the BETA.

"…I guess so, Valkyries." Adler turned to cut down a grappler, but it was shot by Hrist moments before Zephiris's blade could connect. "As much as I hate to admit it, we would've died without their arrival," he muttered. "Nice shot, Aerilynn."

"Thanks."

"By the way, the XO has an order for you… Get back to base." Kagami said.

"…Great, from one battle to another."

"No. You're dense as ever, Adler. The order is for you to get back to base."

"Right…"

_Nighttime  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Lynx Living Quarters_

"Selene… just what was going on…?" Adler muttered to himself. "Richland… today… It's like every time she encounters the BETA, something about her just breaks. It's not one of her episodes— it's not the Kojima poisoning… it's something else." He closed his eyes, and a flash back of when he was still a rookie Lynx filled his mind. "It couldn't be what happened back then. It's not like anyone knew of the BETA outside of a select few like Tadashiro… So it can't be related."

He rolled over on his bed, irritated. He couldn't even get the chance to talk to Selene since the battle in the afternoon. She was immediately taken to her room, while he was stuck in the Hangar, overseeing repairs to Zephiris. However, it wasn't too much of a bother. Really, being able to spend the evening hours with her was something that he only really got to do over at Yokohana and back when he first sided with the Union, after meeting Llad for the first time. "I wonder just how long this little reunion with the three Valkyries is going to last…" He muttered to himself. "They're right, I'm an independent, but I don't usually work with the Union anymore. Things won't ever go back to the way that they were— once Omer is destroyed, friends will end up killing each other out there. GA and the Interior are only working together right now because Omer is a threat… Once the BETA and Omer are dealt with though… I don't know what I'll- we'll, do… "

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hello, play on names. Once seen, it can't be unseen. You know of what I speak if you've played both Muv Luv (or at least know a bit about it!) and Armored Core 4/For Answer! Think about it real hard before you hard mode that there Occupy Carpals...


	7. See you on the Eurofront, Day 2

_I'll See You...On The Eurofront!_

* * *

_**Day 2** - Early Morning  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— NEXT Hangar_

"…Zephiris is already repaired?" Adler asked, "It uses mostly Omer parts. How the hell did you guys get it fixed that fast?"

"Well, we operate TYPE-Siones, so we've had to obtain Omer's designs. Naturally we have the capability to rebuild any of their products." A young man said, "Although, the hard part is actually the Rayleonard parts you have. We don't actually have them— so we made a slight substitution. You may feel a slight difference in power."

"A change in the Main Boosters?"

"Yes, due to our need to get your NEXT fully operational as fast as possible, we had to substitute the Virtue with a XCB-Sione. The two boosters are virtually the same output wise- actually the Sione is more powerful; however, the Sione has slightly less EN drain for slightly more weight. You might feel a difference with that change, but it should, by all means be extremely minor."

"You changed my design without telling me?!"

"I meant no offense, sir. But the Interior needs your NEXT to be operational within two days. Just to get those Virtues repaired-no, replaced: they're completely scrapped, would've taken at least three weeks."

"Why two days?"

"Ask the higher ups. I'm just a mechanic. Anyways, unless you demand we change the boosters back out- which, I think you should trial the core before making that decision, Zephiris is fully operational…"

"I'll give it a shot once Selene wakes up… although, I received notification some other unranked fool who calls himself 'Eishi' has challenged me to an Order Match—I may do it during a live trial. I was actually here to check on Redeemer."

"You're gonna do an Order Match? Last I heard, you don't do them."

"I don't go around needlessly challenging people. If I've got something to prove, I do it on the real battlefield. I've no need for rank— but if someone wants to go at it, I'll be glad to kick their ass."

"Heh. That's actually a pretty cool stance to have. Although with the increase in unranked and irregular Lynx, I'd think it'd be more impressive to actually rank."

"I don't care. I'm not about appearances. I just want to get the job done."

"You're not like many of the other Lynx. Most Lynx only care about money. You… it seems like you're driven by something."

"Simple. Revenge. Omer took something important from me. I'm going to ruin them for that."

"Revenge, eh? Sounds like a pathetic reason to fight. Guess it's more important to you than money though."

"A reason to fight is merely that. Never again will I let them…"

"Let them what?"

"Oh, it's nothing a simple mechanic like you needs concern himself with."

Adler turned away from the mechanic and took a look at the NEXTs in the hangar. Zephiris stood silently, its sensor eye closed, as though it were activating an Assault Armor blast. Across from it stood Brunnhilde, a crimson-colored TYPE-Sione. It was armed with twin Gatling cannons on its arms, the Scylla AS missiles on its shoulders, and the Vermillion01 high-speed missile launchers on its back. Next to it was Freyja, a deep, forest green-colored Type-Sione, armed with Grenades- most notably the Oigami Large Grenade Cannon and a BFF manufactured Laser rifle. Lastly, the third Valkyrie craft, Hrist, which was a strange Blue-Purple Color, armed with a 067ANLR laser rifle, a BFF-made Sniper rifle and cannon, and the Phact railcannon.

Admittedly, one would think that the load outs that the Valkyries use came from GA or BFF rather than the Union, but the Valkyries were a special squad of Lynx- they were the Union's executioners, and were allowed unlimited freedom in parts selection, as though they were independents. This fact is what made them far more terrifying than the rest of the Union- a typical Union Lynx would use a Tellus or Latona model NEXT armed with Lasers or Auto-Sighting missiles. Occasionally they'd wield the Eltanin laser blade or a selection of Railguns. The standard procedure for dealing with a foe from the Union was simple: EN Defense, or in other words, use one of their NEXTs against them, especially the Y-01 Tellus or Y-11 Latona models. Couple that with expected low ballistic defenses, and it's simple to counter Union standard Lynx, but the Valkyries and the Independents that the Union loved to hire were different. The Valkyries piloted Omer-manufactured craft armed with mostly GA, Arisawa and MSAC weapons- that made them a sudden and sharp change to the normalcy of the Union's forces, causing them to be a major threat.

Looking past the Valkyries, there were two other, generic Y-01 Tellus models armed with various laser weaponry and another stand out NEXT. "Rydalith… Miranias's NEXT." Adler said to himself, recognizing the purple and black NEXT. Rydalith was virtually the same as Llad's Repentence, although it was configured for more of a support role, with one of the twin Acrux cannons traded out for a Wheeling03 missile launcher. It also uses a NIOBRARA03 in place of the left 063ANAR, and had BFF-made Arm units, particularly those of the 063AN. "Just shows how close those two were, until… eh. It doesn't matter. I'll probably see her before this week or so is done… although, considering I've got the TYPE-Sione's boosters in Zephy now—they're not bad boosters in the least…" His thoughts turned back to the slight design change to Zephiris, and recalling just how fast Freyja is. "I don't need to check up on Redeemer right now. I—we can use Zephy to take on this 'Eishi', whoever he is."

"Adler!" A woman's voice called out, "What are you doing here again!?"

Adler turned to face the person speaking to him. She was a woman with long black hair, in a red and black fortified suit. Rydalith's emblem, a Black and Purple hexagonal target, with a chrome-colored star angled downward, was emblazoned on her right shoulder, with the Collared Emblem on her left. She had hazel colored eyes, and was a bit taller than he was. "Mira?! You're at Lyons?"

"Yes. I'm sure you noticed Rydalith is here."

"Just spotted it now."

"Ah. Well, I'd stay and talk, but I've got a deployment."

"You do?"

"Yeah. The Union wants me to patrol the training area near the Gear Tunnel—they're gonna be deploying our Ursragna units down there. I heard it was attacked by BETA, so the commander isn't taking any chances."

"Yeah… about that."

"Oh, you know about the BETA attack at the Gear Tunnel?"

"I was there when it happened."

"Oh."

"They didn't have any laser-class, so it wasn't much of an issue, although I screwed up and got Zephiris smashed up."

"That's why the maintenance crews were working on it last night."

"Yep, although they replaced my Boosters with a different model… from the Virtues to Siones. Gonna find out just how different that is in today's Order Match—some unknown guy calling himself 'Eishi' is challenging me."

"So the damage was that bad?"

"Lost my main boosters. Only reason me and Selene are alive is because we had additional boosters installed. Well, that and the Valkyries arriving. Aerilynn saved us with a railcannon shot from the edge of the horizon."

"Sounds just like her to make a shot like that. By the way, Adler, just how is Selene doing?"

"Right now? I don't exactly know. I'm going to go talk to her in a few moments."

"Oh. So…"

"She was fine yesterday, so it's not like anything has gotten any worse than it already was for her."

"I see. Well, nice talking to you again—I've got to get going. Tell Selene hello for me, will you? Also if you see Llad again, the same."

"Will do, Mira."

_Mid-Morning  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— PX_

"…Well, she _may _be in here… considering she wasn't in her room, or anywhere predictable for that matter." Adler muttered to himself. "Although, I wouldn't know why she'd run off to eat without finding me first, considering she never does—I even left her a note telling her I was headed to the hangar in response to that Order Match Challenge, so it's not like we outright missed each other, although that's possible…"

"Hey! Adler!" Kagami's voice was louder than the consistent chatter of the other soldiers.

"Hey, Kagami, Luna, Aeri…!" Adler said upon seeing the Valkyries. "Say, have any of you seen Selene?"

"No." Kagami responded. "Why—you don't know where she is?"

"If I knew where she was, I wouldn't be _looking_ for her."

"Actually she was just here, Adler." Lunaterisa said. "Kagami got here right after she left."

"Did she say where she was going?"

"Back to her room."

"Damn, I must have just missed her then."

"She actually said she wanted to be alone for a few moments, and would come back, so why don't you stay and talk?"

"But…"

"Oh, come on Adler—If Selene wants to be alone, let her be. It's not like she's going to disappear- you can propose to her later."

"Fine— wait- what?! I'm not going to propose to her! I care for her, but she's been like my sister!"

"You only say that, but everyone knows you're _in _love with her." Lunaterisa smiled. "Say, I heard you've got an Order Match this afternoon… Mega Float arena?"

"Yeah, I do, that's partially why I need to talk to Selene."

"Huh? Adler doing an Order match?!" Kagami asked. "That's practically unheard of!"

"Yeah, I don't care about my Collared Rank."

"Although, aren't you technically considered a Rank Five or Six- at least to the companies, considering you and Llad killed off Muhammad?" Luna asked. "Last time I heard of you doing an Order Match was back when you first got Zephiris… let's see, you were…"

"Rank Twenty-Six. After that match—and that pathetic guy with his rifles and missiles, I kinda gave up on doing Orders. They bore me to no end… hell, that guy and his Lahire- I didn't even need to use my blades to win. He destroyed himself with his own Wheeling03."

"Yeah, anyone using Rifles and Verticals in Orders… has no soul. Of course, if it's a company Lynx…"

"That reminds me—Is Collared still using the ruins of the first Spirit of Motherwill in Old Peace City as an Arena? I suppose the Mega Float is still in use, so I don't see why they'd abandon it, unless BFF did something…"

"We wouldn't know." Aerilynn replied. "The execs don't let us participate in Order Matches through Collared."

"I can tell why. None of you besides Kagami would do very well in them, considering they're all one-on-one AC fights. And neither Freyja nor Hrist are well equipped for one-on-ones… and the Union wouldn't want their special operations squad's strategies to get out."

"You just praised Kagami!? Is something wrong with you, Adler? Did something hit your head yesterday?!" Lunaterisa exclaimed.

"Hey! I never said anything about her—it's just Brunnhilde is the only one of your NEXTs that can possibly fight in one-on-one conditions!"

"That's mean, Adler! Although it is somewhat true, especially of my Freyja, which is an outright support NEXT…"

"So what?! Aren't I always?! And I did mean that- Brunnhilde is armed for singular NEXT to NEXT combat- High Speed missiles, Gatling cannons for PA suppression and raw damage, AS missiles. All of that on a Type-Sione frame… It's a nasty combination: Heavy firepower on a fast NEXT like the Sione."

"Hrist can fare well in one on ones as well. I mean, the Original Mary Shelley did well in a similar craft, and Wong-Shao Lung has been a top-ranked Lynx for how long now?" Aerilynn said.

"Yeah, I suppose a Sniper might do well in Orders, but once you're closed in on, it's over- I mean, yeah, Wong-Shao Lung has been BFF's de facto Lynx, but ever see him up against a Blade NEXT?"

"Speaking of BFF, did they pick a new Princess yet?"

"No. Ever since Lillium Wolcott died at the hands of Strayed, they've sorta been stuck in a rut with that idea. They've had their Princess killed at the hands 'of some unforeseen Lynx' twice in a row. They did rebuild the Spirit of Motherwill though, but I'm sure you already know that."

"Yeah. I've heard- they also improved it. It won't be nearly as easy for one NEXT… or hell, three even, to take it down." Lunaterisa said. "It may prove problematic for us."

"Yeah, it's gotta be worrisome to you girls. They put so many upgrades into that AF it's absurd. It's also a walking NEXT base too. BFF is taking no chances with this one—it's got increased range with those large-bore cannons too. I heard they were going to use it to shell Richland from Kamchatka. Of course, they decided after the encounter with the BETA there that they'd just be wasting ammo."

"Wait, they've got NEXTs on board the Risen Spirit!? And that range? That's just obscene!"

"It's pretty well known to us independents. They've got their ace Sniper, Kroitchov on that thing right now. His 'Nevermore' is one _hell_ of a sniping craft—it's the basis for BFF's standard model right now too. He's made shots from outside any form of visual range... I still beat him during live trials at Yokohana though. I've heard they put several former Silent Avalanche pilots into NEXT using the New Sunshine program to help support that thing too—they use the new 072AN, although, all that is, is essentially a NEXT version of their old 048AC-S."

"Wait, they're recommissioning the Silent Avalanche..!? I know a lot of their Normals were made standard, but they're putting those pilots into NEXTs now?!"

"It's pretty much standard GA. They're trying to get as many of their and their allies' Normal Pilots into NEXTs. That's what the New Sunshine Program is for. Of course using Silent Avalanche snipers for it is a form of overkill. BFF really doesn't want to repeat the mistakes made back during the time before the Orca Rebellion."

"In short, they want to make sure that if Strayed comes breathing down their neck again, that they'll kill him, instead of losing their Main Arms Fort."

"It's kind of strange, the BFF and Omer, I guess, are the only ones who'd dare use multiple NEXTs alongside a Main Arms Fort. The League won't authorize that much firepower to ever be used normally. The Kushina doesn't have that much offensive capability, I guess, so that's why the League allows it. They _don't_ allow BFF to do what they're doing, but GA and BFF have been outside the League's real jurisdiction ever since they took back Big Box—of course, that city is just that now. Big Box is such a joke—sure, it's impressive, but it's just a colony in all senses. Sure it's got that tower with all those useless cannons, but those guns don't do much if a NEXT approaches NOE with a VOB."

"Ah! All this talk of Arms Forts and the BFF is just bothersome!" Kagami exclaimed. "Can we talk about something else?!"

"Like what?"

"Umm… I don't know."

"Does knowing what BFF is doing bother you Kagami?"

"Well, yeah. Sorta. I mean, the BFF is my enemy."

"Are they really? I know they're opposed to the Union… somewhat. But you haven't fought against BFF yourself."

"I know, but I might get sent to fight the Risen Spirit or something. Sure, I'm a Lynx, but dying isn't on my priority list."

"Look, sure, we may destroy the Kushina at any moment, but that's only going to even the playing field with Omer. It won't end the war—you'll still be up against Omer. And then there's the BETA to worry about."

"It's not like the BETA are a real issue. It's all the Laser-class anyway. A NEXT doesn't have to worry about them on the ground if there are no lasers."

"True… but even so, you shouldn't wind up fighting against BFF or GA for a good while- not until Omer is dismantled anyways."

"Or if the Union and Omer call a truce of sorts and this war just ends."

"They still may have you go after the BETA… At least I hope. I don't want to end up having to fight you three later."

"And we don't want to have to go chasing down a coward." Kagami laughed.

Adler smiled as he listened to the conversation roll on from there. He looked around frequently, checking to see if Selene had walked in as time passed. After about an hour, she still hadn't shown up. "Hey, I've got to get going. I've got to find Selene- I can't just accept an Order Match and then not show up."

"Oh wow! It has been a while hasn't it?!" Lunaterisa said. "I suppose Selene didn't come back— I wish you luck in finding her… we've got hours of Simulator training in front of us."

"Simulator training? The Kushina operation?"

"No. Anti-BETA—with the appearance of BETA through the Gear Tunnel, they want us to be ready in case that happens again- particularly if they bring laser-class. No clue why they didn't last time."

"No idea either. It was strange. The lasers are their biggest weapon against NEXTs. Why would they attack without using the lasers...?"

"No clue, but the XO wants us to be ready for laser-class to come through the Gear Tunnel… of course we're deploying some of our Ursragna mobile fortress units down there- those should be able to stop them from attacking."

"Not if lasers or worse, heavy lasers show up."

"That's why we'll be ready if they do."

"Good to hear." Adler nodded. "Well, I'll be off- you probably won't see me for the rest of the day. The Mega Float isn't that far away, but it'll be right around lights out when we get back."

"See you tomorrow then, Adler." Lunaterisa waved as she began to turn around.

"Bye-Bye." Kagami said, "…Don't run away during your match, Adler."

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm going to kick this 'Eishi's' ass, sideways."

"I'll believe it when it happens, Adler."

"Well, you'll know it tomorrow, when I come back with a win."

_Late-Morning  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Lynx Living Quarters_

"..Selene? Are you there?" Adler asked as he knocked on the room's door.

"Adler...?" Selene responded. "..Come in."

Adler opened the door and walked into Selene's room. She was sitting at her desk, writing something. She was already wearing her fortified suit, which, for some reason was different from the ones worn by everyone else. While it was primarily white and blue, which was different by itself, considering the most common color was black, not that hers lacked black areas, such as her arms and legs; the main difference was the fact that it was sleeker, yet more angular at the same time. It had large hoop-like areas protruding from it near her hips, and her hands and collar lacked the normal interfacing points- in fact it didn't appear to have NEXT or Normal interfacing points at all- of course, while she could pilot, she wasn't a Lynx, nor Raven.

"You're wearing your fortified suit already?" Adler asked.

"Of course—we have an Order Match to attend." Selene smiled as she spoke. "I saw your note. I didn't want to bother you while you were overseeing the NEXTs, so I went and ate by myself, although Lunaterisa ended up being there." Her voice didn't have the strange tone that it carried in the past few days, the one that had been putting Adler on edge, afraid something was wrong with her.

"Thanks. You sound cheerful today." Adler responded, cracking a slight smile upon seeing and hearing Selene. He walked over to her. "That's good— you already know."

Selene smiled. "I checked the official communication, and considering the time, we're not going to be able to talk for very long before we have to leave for the Mega Float. "But, it doesn't take you long to get ready for deployment, and if Zephiris is already ready to go, we have time if you just want to talk."

"Yeah, Zephy is already set. The Interior's mechanics are as fast as ever, although they couldn't fix or replace our boosters. They outfitted her with the 'XCB-Sione' instead."

"They really are trying to reverse-engineer that NEXT aren't they?"

"Well, that's why we stole it for them. If we were out to just cause havoc for Omer, we'd have just destroyed the entire arsenal." Adler laughed. "Instead we stole them- or rather, the Valkyries stole them, you stole Zephiris, and I shot Normals full of holes, while Llad fought NEXTs."

Selene smiled and stood up. As she did, she walked towards Adler, then wobbled, and nearly fell over, coughing.

"What the hell, Selene?! You looked fine moments ago!" Adler said as he moved to keep her from falling. "What is wrong with you?!...KDL failure or what was it? Did they mess up your treatment last time?"

"N-no. I'm fine. I'm… just woozy, and a bit tired." She said, looking up at Adler, as she collapsed to her knees, leaning herself into him. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"…Selene…" Adler said, looking her straight in the eyes, his hands on her shoulders. "…don't lie to me. Please. I've caused you enough pain, I don't want you to force yourself for my sake- if you'd rather stay and rest, and I can take on 'Eishi' in Redeemer." As he held her, he thought to himself, "Maybe Luna and Llad… and just about everyone else, are right. I may just love her."

"No. I want to be there. I want to help you, like you do for me…" She said, trying to regain her composure. "I care about you, Adler. I don't' want you to go out there and get yourself killed by AMS feedback because you were worried about me."

"Selene...! I'm going to be worried about you either way...-!"

"But you won't be as worried if I'm there with you...!" Selene said, as she got herself back up onto her feet. "Besides, I'm fine. I promise."

"Selene...!" Adler stood up with her, his eyes filled with tears. "…If you say so…"

"…You've got to get ready. I'm going to go down to the Hangar. I'll see you when you get there."

"Right. I'll see you in Zephy." Adler said as he left Selene's room and started to walk down the hall. "Damn. Is it really that much for me to love her? I've known her as long as I can remember. She's the only person on this poisoned Earth that matters to me, and yet…" he thought as he walked away. "Why does this bother me?"

_Sunset  
Mediterranean Oceanic Area—Mega Float Arena_

The sun was setting through the clouds that hung over the oceanic arena, turning the sky a deep red orange. Specks of black, spent, Kojima particles fell from the sky like snow, but were hardly visible.

"Collared Order Match… Arisawa Lynx, 'Eishi', NEXT: _Zephyr Fudai_, versus Independent Lynx, 'Adler', NEXT: _Zephiris_… Begin on the mark." The Collared Representative in the Collared Eclipse Orbit said. "As this is an Order Match, JIVES will be used… Starting JIVES."

"It finally begins." Adler said, "Hey, 'Eishi'. I don't know why the hell you challenged me, or why the hell you've got a NEXT with such a similar name, but you're going down."

"Overconfidence brings disaster, Adler. However, you're likely right. I'm not primarily a Lynx. In fact, this is my first time piloting a NEXT." An arrogant sounding male voice responded.

"Wait… that voice. Tadashiro?!"

"Correct, although, I can't tell Collared my actual name. It may be tradition for Arisawa developers to also be Lynx, but I'm not going to be a mercenary, nor a soldier proper."

-ORDER MATCH START- The display lit up. Zephiris's boosters ignited immediately, and Adler had the NEXT boost off the starting platform and onto the water.

"Adler, he's approaching in Overed-boost." Selene said. "He's closing at high speed… his craft identified. It's a Type-Lahire, with Latona Arms— assumedly it's just like Zephiris or Kerberos. Right hand weapon appears to be a machine gun of some kind- I can't tell, but it's similar to Aspina's XMG-A030. Left hand is a Blade… 07-Moonlight. Its Back Unit is an add-booster, but it doesn't match the ACB-O710. It appears to be a new design… it looks similar to the boosters on that… TSF you found."

"So...! This is what a NEXT actually feels like!? Subarashii!" Tadashiro exclaimed, as he disengaged his white and blue colored NEXT's Overed-boost and immediately fired a quick boost, dodging away from Zephiris, and bouncing across the waves. "This feeling…! It is truly amazing. So much power...! Wielding this power, day in, day out, I can see why you Lynx get the way you do...! Hahaha! This is magnificent!"

"What the hell is with that machine, Tadashiro!? Why the hell do you have an Omer craft!?" Adler exclaimed, as he dodged Tadashiro's charge and slash. "Let alone an Omer craft with the same layout as my Zephiris!?"

"I thought a NEXT like yours would be best for the Proof-of-concept model booster Arisawa and Cougar are working on under my orders." Tadashiro said, easily dodging away from Zephiris, moving upwards. "The 'Izumo' Add-Omni Booster." Both NEXTs closed in on one another, with Zephiris disengaging at the exact moment Tadashiro engaged the Moonlight. "Like the Omer made ACB and ASB, this armament merely increases a NEXT's speed and mobility by adding additional thrust. However, it's tuned using the latest Cougar boosters, and designed for spontaneous thrust, in _any_ direction- so it accomplishes the task of both Omer devices with significantly less weight."

"Arisawa making an Add booster?! That's something for the lights, and GA makes heavies—Arisawa does Ultras."

"Precisely why I had to adopt a name as a Lynx and purchase a Type-Lahire for this proof-of-concept model. I only have gotten the Booster completed— this took over a year of planning. The similarity it has to the Type-00 Takemikazuchi's jump units is simply aesthetic- the Type-00 is in a way, my family's legacy. Considering I'm the one who designed this part, I thought…" Tadashiro spoke as he and Adler clashed once more, and both disengaged moments before any of the blades could connect, except for Zephiris's right Eltanin taking away a huge chunk of Tadashiro's NEXT's PA. "I'd incorporate the Type-00 into the design of my booster. I may continue that with the complete product…"

"There's more to this?!"

"You said it yourself; GA and Arisawa, and BFF as well… do not make Light-model NEXTs. We have no reason to make such a device like the Izumo… unless you account for the idea that perhaps a prototype NEXT is entering development."

"You've got to be kidding me?! A new model NEXT?!"

"Exactly. I call it the 'Fudai'. It's a light-type NEXT, based off multiple sources- and designed for maximum firepower. The NEXT's greatest strength over other military assets is its speed, and this new machine will capitalize on that."

"How the hell are you getting something so radically different through development? The GA Brass will never approve it!"

"As long as it uses theirs, Cougar, MSAC, BFF, and Arisawa products well, they don't care what build we make! The Fudai will fully utilize a new series of boosters from Cougar, and even this '_Zephyr Fudai' _uses the latest GA machine gun. In addition, as long as I can prove myself to 'Shadow Warrior', I can get Arisawa to follow any design principle I want- and there's plenty of the staff who want a light model built. And I've already accomplished that- I defeated RAI-DEN in the simulators, with an eighty-four percent win rate."

"That's a GA weapon!? It looks like the XMG-A030!"

"Look closely at this new chain gun—it's nothing like that piece of trash the Aspina Colony created...!" Tadashiro laughed as he pulled the trigger, unleashing a barrage of bullets straight towards Zephiris. "The beauty of this new GAN03-NSS-EXG is that it, unlike most of GA's ballistic weapons, was designed specifically to work with Arisawa's heavy weapons- it fires bullets armed with a Kojima contaminant- it's merely designed to destroy Primal Armor—and it uses a chain system for its ammo. It has two-thousand rounds in a single magazine! Of course, it's not really a 'machine gun' in the sense of the term. It's referred to as a PA Suppression Gun. The rounds do little actual damage. A solid hit only does around one hundred units of AP damage on most NEXTs. It's completely ineffective as an offense against, say, Raiden, Sunshine or a Hilbert."

"Great. GA manufactured rapid fire Kojima bullets." Adler said, attempting to dodge the incoming barrage of shells, but most of them hit Zephiris's Primal Armor. "Damn! It's just a prototype weapon and it's already wiped out our PA."

"Having trouble against a first timer, are you, Adler? By the way, this isn't the prototype of the GAN03-NSS-EXG. This is the full production model. It's entering full service within weeks."

"How the hell are you doing this well if you've never piloted before?!"

"I was waiting for that. Thanks to you…" Tadashiro started to speak, while closing in on Zephiris, Zephyr Fudai's chain gun firing as it did, although at the speeds at which the NEXTs were moving, Zephyr Fudai's A-11 Latona arms couldn't keep up, causing most of the bullets to miss. However, it eventually closed in, and the add boosters roared, emitting a blue flame as Zephyr Fudai performed a swift Blade charge, without stopping its chain gun fire. "…I obtained a complete copy of XM3. Up until now, I never had the real thing- only vague remnants of the genius Eishi of Alternative IV's OS. However, with the real thing- we know the weaknesses of the first recreation of it… with that data in GA's hands, the NSS2 project! For instance, that maneuver is normally impossible. A NEXT won't allow a gun to fire while a blade is in use- not even during a blade charge. With the NSS2, not only is control much easier for new pilots- even compared to the original NSS project, it has strengths that even Veterans would seek."

"You're one crazy scientist dude. But even with your new NEXT, you're not going to beat me, first time Lynx!" Adler exclaimed as Zephiris dashed into an attack position.

"NSS2 allows any Lynx to develop top-class NEXT piloting skills quickly! The NSS project was built on the idea that the ability of projection-, which is necessary for AMS, can be learned- and the programming of the computers were recalibrated to make predictive movements- Combos as it were. This allowed manual input to have more power in a NEXT than before. NSS2 takes it a step further. Not only is it adaptive- learning from all NEXTs, it allows more functional cancels."

"Cancels?"

"Like the maneuver earlier- it allows the Lynx to override the safety positioning systems. A Chain gun can't fire while a blade is use due to these restrictions— but by canceling that with the NSS2, it can continue to fire."

"You could blow off your NEXT's arm like that! You want to allow new pilots the ability to do that?!"

"It has certain limitations. The gun won't be allowed to cross the arm's rotational field, but it will continue to fire if the target is outside that area. In fact, if this maneuver is attempted, it will perform a different combo- the blade will swing differently to allow the gun to keep its firing trajectory- for example, as you've seen, Zephyr Fudai stabs or performs a vertical slash with its Moonlight blade when I try it." Tadashiro laughed as he made another pass, missing another slash at Zephiris. "This only builds on the prebuilt QB-Chain Cancel and Combo that standard NEXTs can already use."

"That's… insane, but brilliant at the same time. I have to hand it to you Tadashiro. You're a madman, but you're effective as hell. Although, you're not going to win!"

"He cannot evade like this. Strike right first," Selene said, "Then quick boost back, and then chain left immediately. Finish with a strike- left. We will be out of EN temporarily after that maneuver, however, but his AP will be less than ten thousand at that point... do remember that we cannot use our Assault Armor without our Primal Armor- and he's stripped that from us."

"Gotcha." Adler smiled as he proceeded to do exactly what Selene had said, slashing at Zephyr Fudai's back with Zephiris's right blade. However, as the slash connected, and Zephiris fired its back booster, Zephyr Fudai performed an instantaneous quick turn and slashed with its Moonlight blade, narrowly missing Zephiris.

"…What? How'd you see my ability to do that coming!?"

"How did you do that one? NSS2?" Adler said as he continued with Selene's plan, chaining his quick boost left and forward, striking Tadashiro with a swift strike from Zephiris's right blade.

"It's another example of a 'cancel'- you know how if struck by heavy weapon, like the Oigami Large Grenade cannon during Blade activation, the NEXT will deactivate the blade and counter position? Well, with NSS2, instead it will delay that counter positioning at the pilot's discretion and continue the attack— and it can be used with any type of hit stun… but you shouldn't have known that… is this the power of a real Lynx?!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"All Lynx who use AMS have to be capable of ESP. If that weren't the case, the NSS Program wouldn't exist."

"ESP...?"

"Extrasensory perception. It's a skill that some people are born with- it can be trained to a degree, but only so much. It manifests itself in two forms. The first is 'Reading', in short the ability to feel thoughts. You know when you're in a fight in a NEXT and you've taken a huge hit, it sometimes feels as though you were hit yourself? That's a bit of it. The computers on a NEXT are designed for that kind of feedback to help with the AMS. Of course it sometimes causes other problems."

"…So what does that have to do with anything...?"

"…The other is 'Projection', which is the ability to project ones' thoughts onto others. This is the basis for the Allegorical Manipulation System- and is first and foremost required for all Lynx. If you can't do it- it's possible the NEXT won't move, or it will begin trying to read your thoughts itself- and that causes it to destabilize, releasing Amazigh-type radiation- if the NEXT is too powerful for the Lynx to control it gets worse. NSS counterbalanced that with a mix of Normal controls and predictive movements."

"I get the idea- thoughts become input. I've been piloting a NEXT for a long time, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh so you haven't caught on? You really are as dense as you look."

"…He's saying that we read his thoughts." Selene said, "Adler, be careful, he's up to something."

"…Read his thoughts? Is that even possible? I get how it'd work with a NEXT, but, another person?"

"…Ah, I can tell from that you've caught on. ESP works at range- and on people. It can't work on a machine though without a form of interfacing, so it's understandable why you might think that it's not."

"You mean the AMS connection points in our Fortified Suits and helmets?"

"Precisely. You can't speak to a NEXT without those— at least even the highest caliber Lynx couldn't, of course that negates the possibility of a Zero-Zero Unit."

"Zero-Zero Unit?"

"A super weapon— one was supposedly created in 2001. It is also known as the Human Plus, or Human-Computer Integration Project. 'Father' and 'The Corporation' tried to create another one- but failed every time— and their attempts, the Zodiac and Chief were completely destroyed by one Raven." Tadashiro turned Zephyr Fudai around and charged at Adler's Zephiris. "…of course, creating a Zero-Zero Unit is impossible in this day and age. I wouldn't even know where to begin with the idea...!"

"So what does a super weapon from 2001 have to do with anything unless it's still around?!"

"…The Zero-Zero? It's not. It died shortly after its completion due to various reasons. But in theory a completed Zero-Zero would be able to fully control a NEXT's AMS without connection points and could achieve an AMS synchronization rate of over 100%, which is impossible for a normal Lynx- hell, impossible maneuvers such as Third-Stage Quick Boosts and hard cancels would become possible without OS modifications, as the Zero-Zero's mind becomes the NEXT's computer- so anything regarding the OS is completely thrown out the window. Also a Zero-Zero would be able to perform readings on people and things without halting connection to the NEXT." Tadashiro explained as he swung Zephyr Fudai's Moonlight blade- this time scoring a direct hit on Zephiris, which was sent reeling from the impact.

"Well, then, as there isn't a Zero-Zero Unit; that really doesn't matter."

"You're quite right, Adler. Perhaps it was just a fluke that you anticipated my maneuver back there. Then again, your girlfriend— Selene isn't fully connected is she? In addition, she's always with you— I already know she's in there. So considering she isn't Zephiris's Lynx, she may have been able to do a reading on me if she has proper ESP- and considering she was capable of controlling Zephiris during the Richland battle without you, she does- in fact that's exactly how she helps you control Zephiris- by projecting into you— you two really are the perfect couple— alone, you're worthless- that's why Redeemer's OS is the way it is- to make up for your flaws- adding parts of that OS allows Zephiris to third-stage, yet you still can't control it alone. Of course, if you black out, it becomes a different story- then our instruments lose it due to Amazigh-type radiation emissions caused by the indirect AMS."

"Dammit, Tadashiro! You smug bastard!" Adler shouted as he chained his quick boosts toward Zephyr Fudai. "…I'll kick your ass!"

"…If you're referring to the Order Match… you've already won." Tadashiro said, as Zephiris's blade smashed into Zephyr Fudai's side.

ORDER MATCH FINISHED.  
WIN: Zephiris 16859/31148  
LOSE: Zephyr Fudai 0/31148

"…However, our little chat doesn't end here. I have a deal for you, Lynx."

"If it's a mission, you'll have to pay some serious cash."

"Oh, I'm prepared to pay— Eight Hundred Thousand COAM for this."

"Well, with those kinds of numbers…"

"I see you're not completely stupid— I want you test Zephyr Fudai more for me."

"Why wouldn't you do that yourself, 'Eishi'?"

"Because, like I said, I'm not a Lynx. I only obtained this NEXT for this test, and as product demonstrator… and to be specific, you don't have to use my Zephyr Fudai- you can use your Zephiris. I just want your data for NSS2- of course that will mean you'll have to use this NEXT's IR Computer— and the other parts- Izumo and the PA Suppression Gun."

"Hmm… I'll think about it."

"Hell, if you like them, you can keep them after you're done with the deal- free of charge. The new IR computer and PA Suppression gun are expensive little toys. The Izumo hasn't hit the markets, but it won't be cheap- you're getting on hell of a deal- just get me combat data."

"Is this just a plan to spy on the Union?"

"No… and to be specific— this is where the COAM price comes in, I want Anti-BETA combat data- you get me that, I get you Eight-hundred thousand COAM."

"BETA? Hell no."

"Oh, surely you're not unaware that you'll be fighting them again. And it's common knowledge what you did at the Gear Tunnel yesterday."

"Geez. How the hell does word travel that fast?"

"We keep tabs on the Independents."

"So… Corporate Espionage."

"I wouldn't call it that— as it's Collared that told us- think about that name for a moment, Adler. You can't hide from what you've done- what you've accomplished- you're collared, like a dog."

"Damn. You're really pushing my buttons, Tadashiro."

"Just get to the end. Do you accept my deal? You'll end up fighting BETA again soon enough- it's just you'll get Eight-hundred thousand COAM the next time you do if you take this."

"Fine, but you're having the parts installed on my NEXT. That white-and-baby blue freak is yours—"

"Well, good thing Collared has a mobile Hangar. It can be done there, while you two get back to Lyons— you may just be deployed tomorrow, you never know…! It's time for 'Eishi' to disappear."

"One last second, Tadashiro. That name, 'Eishi'…"

"It doesn't mean anything- it's close to Guardian… it's a word of pride used by the TSF pilots- only the fully fledged ones were worthy of being known as Eishi— those who piloted AC-0s- they were Ravens- picking up the scraps of the proud Eishi…!"

"I figure, considering he just activated his Cruising Overed Boost and left, he's got it all planned out- there's the parts in that hangar…" Adler said as he began moving into the mobile hangar. "I guess we're gonna be sleeping on the Eclipse Orbit tonight, Selene— at least until we arrive at Lyons tomorrow morning."

"…By the way Adler, I just want to let you know, I don't do readings on you. I never have— I just wouldn't." Selene said, "Looking into your heart- I don't want to do that."

"So, you can do readings on people… Tadashiro's right— did you predict that he was going to act that way by using that power? Dammit."

"…Does that bother you Adler..?" Selene's voice had a tinge of sadness. "…Does it scare you, knowing that?"

"No. You said you wouldn't do a reading on me, so that's good enough- besides Selene, I've been with you ever since we were little so it doesn't matter- you know exactly how I think and feel by now— if you can read our enemies' minds though, it's something we should take advantage of."

"Thanks, Adler…— but like he said, all Lynx have this power."

"Well, can you use it on the BETA?"

"No— they… their thoughts— It's red. Nothing but red. They— Recycle. Gather. _Not Alive._"

"What's wrong...?" Adler turned around to see Selene had a strange expression on her face- her eyes empty, yet full of tears. "SELENE!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Wow, two chapters in a row, no reviews. Come on now..! On a different note, I've always wanted a Kojima Machine gun in ACfA- just to do exactly what the GAN03-NSS-EXG does: melt PA, so I can kill with 'nades afterwards. And yes, all bladers are the same, and Magnus Bladers suck (Double Suck with HD-Holofernes!). Gremlins suck, unless it's TSF'd (Read: Has a Machine gun backing that sword.)... and has the ACB. (Also come to think of it, having Jump units up where a NEXT's back weapons are is kinda weird looking. Oh well.)


	8. See you on the Eurofront, Day 3

_I'll See You...On The Eurofront!_

* * *

_**Day 3**__ – "Memories of a Raven": Early Morning  
Somewhere near Former Colony Anatolia_

"Let me deploy. If I'm to die, I'm to die fighting like_ he _would. I'd rather fight these BETA than just sit here in this AC waiting for death."

"Mrs. Fiona! We cannot allow that! You're too important to the League. If you die out there…!"

"If I was important to the League, they never would've caused this destruction, they never would've ruined what me and him stood for..! Now, open the door or I blast it open."

"Fiona! Your Mirage Normal won't last out there..! The BETA are just too dangerous."

"They don't have their laser-class, right? Then my Normal unit will do just fine. This is _his_ unit after all. He held off a NEXT in it. I may not be him, but… everything he's taught me, after all we've been through…"

"Fiona! We cannot comply— The Interior's Lyon's Base is sending NEXTs to reinforce our position, just hang on...!"

"NEXTs… That's our legacy, isn't it, Father… _Raven?_"

"Zephiris-F, Rydalith, Brunnhilde, Freyja, Hrist, Variable Infinity and Vero Nork all closing in on our position— they're showing their full strength. Seven NEXTs. Two of them are independent Lynx— Adler and Miranias... Adler- he's from Anatolia... Vero Nork—Ay Pool. That's one from the Lynx War."

"…We've lost thirteen Normals so far..! …We're losing Mamluk and Spinne units far too quick. Those Destroyer-class just obliterate our standard weapons..! No Laser-class confirmed, but we're not winning this fight without those NEXTs. Fourteen."

"Tank-class have breached the defense line..! Fifteen Normals down! They're eating our Gopperts apart!"

"Tank-class!? Those are the red ones that tear things apart, right!?"

"Yeah...!"

"…Kill them! I don't want to be eaten!"

"LC-003 to Normal Units: We're preparing our Strafing lasers- keep clear!"

"Goppert-G3 Units under command of Interior Heavy transport, focus on the Tank-class that have slipped past the defensive lines. Our Land Crab doesn't have the defenses to deal with them— if they eat our treads, we're dead in the sand."

"Enemy Fort-class spotted. Something's coming out of it... Fort-class enemies seem to be capable of carrying other BETA— several Tank-class just crawled out of that one."

"How many Forts confirmed?!"

"Several—you don't want the real answer to that question. We're directing our Arms Fort's firepower towards them!"

"…If you do that, our Mamluk units will get overwhelmed—we've already lost too many of our MTs as is- we can't afford to lose any more. They're needed for killing the Destroyer-class, as the shell of the destroyer can deflect optical attacks— and only our Land Crab can fire over them, while a Mamluk can kill it with explosive force with its rockets. Redirect the Normals to deal with the forts..!"

"The Goppert's Laser Rifle has proven ineffective on the Forts before… how many Dulakes are available for combat?"

"We've lost three of our seven. We only have four available Dulake units—do you believe they can kill the Fort-class?"

"The Dulake's Blade is our only hope against the forts until the NEXTs have arrived—dammit out of all the times to _not _have a Fermi escorting our Land Crab units."

"Please, let me deploy..! People are dying out there, and yet— you know my capabilities: I can pilot…! My machine's MCW-LQ/35 Laser Cannon can hold the enemy off…!"

"Fiona! We cannot allow that..! You may want to die to join your dead husband, but, I'm sorry, you're too valuable an asset—we can't willingly let you die. You can only deploy if this Land Crab is already compromised."

"If you lose the Land Crab, we're all dead. Let me deploy, my AC has way more firepower and maneuverability than the Goppert-G3."

"It's still only a third-generation core, and a light model at that with a mere six-thousand, nine-hundred thirty-one AP- a Grappler-class or Destroyer-class can destroy it in a single blow- we can't risk you dying out there."

"Yet, if I'm not out there, you're risking us all dying while waiting for reinforcements."

"It's a risk we have to take given the situation. We can win this- once those NEXTs arrive, the BETA will be annihilated."

"If only _he_ were here…"

_En Route to the Combat Zone- 62Km from Anatolia_

"I can't believe they're sending us out this early...!" Adler said, sleepily. "At least we're getting nicely paid for this mission…"

"Not to mention we're getting paid by Tadashiro- we're going to be fighting BETA." Selene responded.

"…yeah. I don't want to have to fight them. Not this early… the Eight-hundred-thousand COAM is nice, but it still means fighting BETA."

"What's wrong, Adler? You going to run away?" Kagami chided.

"No. I just don't like fighting the BETA. I'd rather be killing Omer fools."

"There's no time for that now- you're just going to have to put up with the fight against the BETA. Besides, in the face of alien invasion, shouldn't humans fight together against a common foe?" A female voice, that of Diana Liotta, the pilot of the standard-issue Y-01 Tellus, Variable Infinity, said. "The Interior-Omer war is incredibly stupid- especially now that the BETA are here."

"Yes… Adler. I know you're still upset at Omer for what they did, but… please, for my sake, just focus on killing the BETA for now…" Selene said.

"…Selene. Are you going to be alright? Every time we've fought the BETA so far, you've—you…"

"If I don't read them, I will be… so… just kill them for me."

"I will. And Tadashiro—you **will** owe me for this."

"So, Adler, when did you change out your ACB? It looks totally different." Miranias asked.

"Last night after beating 'Eishi'—who, turned out to be Tadashiro from Arisawa out to prove some new products. Part of my 'reward' for that match is this new part developed by Arisawa Heavy Industries—the… Izumo Add-Omni Booster." Adler responded. "Along with GA's newest weapon- the 'PA Suppression Cannon'… and one more thing, but I can't exactly say what."

"Arisawa has a new part—and it's not a Grenade cannon?" Lunaterisa asked. "I guess they can't improve on the Oigami though."

"The Oigami is just the 1500mm from the Giga Base and Land Crab units shoved onto a NEXT. I'm pretty sure they can improve on that. Actually, I heard they are."

"But why out of all things, would they build an Add-booster?" Miranias asked. "That doesn't seem like something they'd do."

"I'm not too sure myself- Tadashiro is a bit of a bolt."

"Say, did he mention any other new weapons?" Luna asked.

"Well, there was some mention of a new Grenade cannon- something about arming it with something called an S-11 Suicide charge or something—but that came from the mechanic who installed the new equipment onto Zephiris… but…"

"S-11? Suicide Charge?"

"I don't know. That sounds like something Tadashiro would ramble on about. Like I said, that guy is a bit, um… insane. He's a bit of a history buff too- and it seems his favorite is the 2000s, and _old_ mechs… TSFs."

"TSFs?" Miranias asked.

"'Tactical Surface Fighter, the predecessor to the Core. Apparently they were built to fight BETA back in 2000, but 'Father' was afraid of them—or at least the 'Type-00 Takemikazuchi' and some other one, the 'F-22 Raptor', so he used the Cores to wipe them out."

"We're entering combat soon- Target BETA are now within visual Range...! Vero Nork commencing support." Ay-Pool's voice was as gritty as ever. "There are no laser-class, so use that to our advantage. We've got to protect the Land Crab."

"Variable Infinity here- they won't last ten seconds against my lasers."

"Acknowledged, Ay-Pool. Valkyries, Engaging." Kagami said, strangely serious.

"NEXT Rydalith, commencing support."

"Zephiris-F, engaging. To those in the skies, watch our signal- we'll be engaging on the ground, so be careful of Friendly Fire." Adler said. "Don't hit us."

"This is Commander Swift of the League's AF Transport Unit to Interior NEXTs- we're currently attempting to hold off the Tank-Class BETA, and approaching Fort-Class—due to circumstances, we've had to release our Normals, except for the 'High-Priority Target'. Engage what you can. Prioritize threats to our Arms Fort first." A voice said over the communicator. "You've arrived just at the last moment—the majority of our defense units have been annihilated."

"This is Adler, pilot of Zephiris-F, acknowledged. I'm going after the Fort-class—can I get an enemy number verification?"

"Total enemy number is around eleven-thousand. There's a few hundred Fort-Class- the enemy consists mostly of Tank-class—once again, engage what's closest to us first."

"Just confirming- I will be engaging the Forts first though. It takes Zephiris only seconds to dispatch a Fort, so considering the change to the 07-Moonlight, it won't any much longer in Zephiris-F."

"Acknowledged, Adler. To all NEXTs, once again, just engage what's closest to our Land Crab- our strafing lasers will annihilate the further enemies."

"Selene… Let's do this..!" Adler said, as he disengaged the cruising boost.

"Cruising Mode disengaged, System switched to Combat Mode. Primal Armor rectification now proceeding normally." The computerized voice of the core said.

"Adler..! I'm picking up something—someone is trying to project… I see a white-haired man with blue eyes… a NEXT? ... White Glint…? ...A woman…! Could it be...!?"

"You're receptive, Selene..! But… does that mean White Glint is alive? Is White Glint here?!"

"No… it's just a projection. We need to focus on the mission—we need to kill the BETA."

"But… who can do projections—you're the only one who can do that, right? Everyone else needs to use their projections for their AMS… right?"

"I don't know, but someone is trying to project… It might be subconscious though… Alternatively, I might just be reading others unintentionally… I'm not sure…"

Zephiris boosted forward, and slashed the sides off a Fort-class. Two-tank class jumped out of its body, but Adler turned Zephiris sharply, slicing them to bits with its stabilizers, as though the stabilizers were physical blades.

"…That's the first, three-hundred thirteen left." Adler said, "Well, Selene, just don't read the BETA. Read me if you have to, but just don't read the BETA."

"Right…!"Everything turned white-blue for a second. "We've received laser-exposure..! Two-thousand thirty-six AP lost...!"

"The Laser-Class?! Was our Intel faulty?"

"No..! That was friendly fire from the Land-crab...!"

"Hey, Swift! Keep those Strafing Lasers off your allies!"

"Our observers spotted live Tank-class on your NEXT. We're not firing at targets that close under normal conditions, but preserving the abilities of the NEXTs is priority one for us."

"Either way, don't shoot us- Those lasers break our lock-on...!" Adler said.

"Acknowledged, we'll be less quick to fire- but do note, we will not allow a NEXT to be taken by BETA."

"…It amazes me just how fast Zefi is now—that IR computer allows for the Fractional Regulation System to allow 575 FRS Memory… a huge jump from the 442 afforded by the NSS1 IR… ENO, ENC, KPO, AMM, AMEWS, FCSLS, MBHT, MBVT, QBMBHT, QBSBT, LGTA, all filled, 25 Units for SBT… Zefi is a lot faster than she was." Adler said as he fired up Zephiris's side-booster's quick boost to avoid the tentacle of a Fort-class.

"She also has stronger main boosters, and the AOB is much stronger than our old ACB, and while the XCB-Sione and Izumo are both significantly heavier than the previous parts, the weight lost switching from twin Eltanin to 07-Moonlight and the GAN03-NSS-EXG easily counter-balances it, in fact we're a few kg lighter than before. Combined with the stronger boosters, we are significantly faster."

"I felt the power the XCB-Sione had yesterday- that booster is truly a work of art." Adler said, quick turning Zephiris around and slashing thru the Fort-class, it falling to pieces with one swift stroke. "And this is the copy made by the Union, no less!" Zephiris's PA-suppression gun started firing, killing Tank-class effortlessly, but its bullets were completely ineffective on the Fort and Destroyer-class. "…this gun, it really doesn't have much firepower. It takes several shots for it to kill the Grappler-class and the rear of the Destroyer-class… can't even scratch Fort-class. It does kill Tank-class in single shots though."

"…Tadashiro did say it's built to destroy Primal Armor, not do damage."

A large volley of missiles rained down in front of Zephiris, laying waste to a large group of Destroyer-class. "Vero Nork or Rydalith must've done that..! None of the other NEXTs can unload that many missiles at once…hey, Ay-Pool, Mira… there's eleven-thousand enemies, that's one-thousand five hundred for each of us..!" Adler shouted, as Zephiris boosted towards the next Fort-class that he could find.

"…Focus on the mission, Adler." Ay Pool responded her tone serious as always.

"Whatever. A NEXT can be expected to take on three thousand BETA in any given engagement. Sending all seven NEXTs at Lyons to escort this one Land Crab is complete overkill..!"

"Only if you can live through the twenty-three minutes of death, Adler."

"I've already done that… twice. Once in Richland, and then again, alone, during the attack at the training ground the other day..!"

"And I've been through both the Lynx War and the Orca Rebellion… I've stood side-by-side with Strayed- although, I didn't know he was going to join them at the time, we killed Buppa Zu Gan and Patch the Good Luck… it put a dent in Orca's early plans."

"You've lived through more combat missions than me- I know that. But I'm one of the ones who fought in Richland against the BETA…!"

"Ay Pool is right; we should focus on the mission, Adler." Selene said.

"Hey, Selene—you doing ok? You're not reading them, right?"

"I'm… trying not to. But my… ah-! Just keep fighting, ok?"

"Alright."

The sky flashed red as Brunnhilde flew by, her twin Gatling guns trained on the BETA. "With the skies—Brunnhilde is unstoppable! DIE, BETA!" Kagami yelled, with a sadistic laugh. The two Scylla AS missile launchers opened, firing four AS missiles. AS, or Auto-Sighting Missiles target and attack targets on their own. Outside of their IFF control, which was present to prevent friendly fire, AS missiles are also commonly known as "heat-seekers", due to the fact that they tend to lock on to the hottest targets first. In the case of using them against BETA, this meant that they'd seek out Laser and Heavy Laser class BETA first, and then Fort-class, then just about any of the other strains- which meant, occasionally the missiles would waste themselves by targeting Warrior-class over more dangerous strains. The missiles split directions, and honed in on the Fort-class that Zephiris was boosting towards, impacting both sides of it, shattering the thing's armor and causing blood to run down its legs, but, even after taking four missiles, it was still alive.

"That one's mine, Kagami!" Adler shouted as Zephiris boosted to the top of the injured Fort and cleaved its head from the rest of its body, and severed its left limbs as well with on strike from the Moonlight.

"I can't control the AS missiles! They go where they please!"

"Hey, watch your radars-! I'm firing on the large advance of Destroyer-class!" Lunaterisa's voice was solid, "Don't get near or my Oigami Large Grenade Cannon will blast you to pieces..!" Freyja shook as the massive weapon unfolded, its 18 meter-long barrel pointing straight towards the middle of a large group of charging Destroyer-class BETA. Luna smiled as she pulled the trigger- firing both the Oigami and the Wadou cannons, Freyja automatically counter-balancing the recoil from the weapons by bracing itself with increased output from its boosters. The shells smashed into the BETA, detonating with massive force- a huge explosion reached into the sky, turning the target area into a gigantic fireball.

"Nice, Luna...! You're doing better than you were in the Simulators..!" Aerilynn said, her voice high as she pulled the trigger for her rail cannon, which shot across the battlefield, killing two tank-class BETA which were leaping towards the grounded Normals, and finally imbedding itself in a Grappler-class, which collapsed, dead.

"…Laser class shoot down my shells. There's no lasers here...!" Luna said, firing her Wadou again, blasting a large group of tank-class to bits.

"Even without the lasers, your kills to shots isn't as high as it's supposed to be..!"

"It's higher than yours..!"

"That's not fair..!" Aerilynn said, firing her sniper cannon, which shot the stinger off a Fort-class. "I'm a sniper, you're artillery..!"

"Snipers… one shot, one kill. Artillery… one shot, one hundred kills." Adler said, finishing off the Fort-class that Aerilynn had shot. "The former is more precise, but the latter is much more efficient..!"

"You stay out of this, you Blader pilot!" They both shouted, as another storm of missiles flew overhead, followed by a brilliant laser blast.

"Vertical missiles... and a laser…! That's Rydalith..!" Explosions lined the horizon as Adler spoke. "Mira's support is as impressive as ever."

"Too bad Vertical Missiles are useless if there's laser-class..." Lunaterisa said.

"No, you need them for locating the lasers, and protecting artillery bombardment—laser class target missiles first. They target things in the air before anything else, but it's a NEXT before a Normal, a Normal before a Missile, a Missile before Artillery… learned that back in Richland… same goes for the Heavy-laser class…"

A bright flash signaled the firing of multiple laser weapons and four more missiles entered flight. "NEXT Variable Infinity firing on target- I'm using my Sirius Hi-laser and the Altair laser rifle." Diana Liotta said, as beams of energy incinerated several BETA, moments before AS missiles made their impact. "Those BETA have no defense against lasers-! Haha! They think they can take the Union!?"

"This is Commander Swift to Diana Liotta. The BETA do have anti-laser measures. Do not shoot the front of a Destroyer-class- it reflects optical attacks. You copy?"

"Copy, Commander." Diana said, firing her Altair again, frying a grappler-class, and arming her Pitone Railgun. "Well, if the Destroyer-class can take my lasers…" the Pitone sparked with energy, firing a high-speed shell that smashed through the shell of a Destroyer, killing it. "They can't take the missiles or my Railgun anyways..!"

"…Those seven NEXTs…seems like the Lynx are actually having fun out there. This must feel like simple target practice to them." Commander Swift said. "This battle… it's already won. Adler was right, this is overkill—already the BETA force has been reduced by over forty three percent… none of the NEXTs have suffered significant damage- and only Freyja is running a risk of running out of ammo, but already she has killed more BETA than any of the others… it seemed almost hopeless until they showed up…"

"…Adler." Selene said, as Zephiris effortlessly struck down another Fort-class.

"…That was Fort number one-hundred fifty-six… what Selene..?"

"She's calling to us again… it's that place… the place that overlooks the sky."

"There..? Isn't that… that's right, we're, right by Anatolia, aren't we..?"

"Yes… I think she wants to meet us there when this is all said and done."

"Alright, then we'll make a stop before heading back to the base... how are things going anyway."

"Exceptionally well. We've taken very little damage since the start of the engagement. The BETA force is reduced by forty-three-point-seven-eight-six percent… four thousand-eight hundred seventeen targets destroyed. We've killed one-hundred fifty-six fort-class…"

"Make that one-hundred fifty-seven!" Adler said, as Zephiris cut down another Fort-class with a strike of its blade.

"We've used thirty-two percent of our GAN03-NSS-EXG Ammo... One-thousand three-hundred fifty-nine rounds remain. Assault Armor is still available."

"As for the others… they're all fine. PA status: Brunnhilde is PA down. Everyone else is stable. Ammo use: Freyja is the only one with a risk of running out of ammo during this operation- her Wadou is already depleted, and she only four more shots with the Oigami, but she's killed one-thousand four-hundred eighty-two BETA so far."

"Are we that far behind!?"

"This isn't a competition, Adler..!"

"I know, I know..!"

"Let's go Zefi!" Adler shouted as he fired Zephiris's boosters and began shooting, targeting tank-class with the GAN03-NSS-EXG, each shot making the BETA explode in a shower of blood. "I've got plenty more where that came from, you inferior beings!"

"Yes… kill them for me, Adler. I can't stand being near them…" Selene muttered to herself. "I'll do what I can to help you, but I can't avoid reading them… I can just try to bear it… but I will never read you…I won't, even if you want me to. I can't look into your heart… because…"

"Adler…! You haven't lost your touch with blading one bit, have you?" Miranias asked, as Rydalith fired an Acrux blast- torching a grappler class that was preparing to swing at Brunnhilde as it had landed for a moment, and then promptly raised its Niobara03 missile launcher, and proceeded to fire four missiles which soared over the armor of a few destroyer-class, and slammed into four separate grapplers.

Zephiris fired its boosters and a surge of purple plasma slashed out of the blade emitter on its left arm, like a katana, slicing several BETA into bloody and charred pieces instantly. Adler kept the PA-suppression gun firing, killing a destroyer that had its back turned. "No we haven't…! In fact…" Zephiris boosted into the air, its AOB emitting a brilliant blue flame. "…I'd say we're…" Zephiris's AOB flipped upwards, redirecting its boost forwards, sending the NEXT straight down towards its target, a fort class. "Even better..!" The fort collapsed as the glowing purple plasma pierced through it. Two tank-class BETA crawled out of it, and leapt towards Zephiris, however Zephiris promptly closed its sensor eye and the sky flashed- the brilliant flash of the Assault Armor burst signaled the demise of the two tanks, along with several others on the ground.

"…Sheesh, that coward wins one Order Match- against a first time nobody no less, and it all goes to his head." Kagami chided, as Brunnhilde armed its twin Vermillion01 missile launchers, sending a barrage of explosives the BETA's way.

"You were convinced he was just going to run away." Luna said, firing her second to last Oigami round, which detonated with massive force, killing a large number of BETA. "He's not that cowardly..!"

"And it's not like he ran from the BETA the other day, either, Kagami..!" Aerilynn said, sniping consecutive Grappler-class with Hrist's 047ANSR rifle.

"Look who's talking- you were scared stupid by them when you first saw them..!" Kagami responded to Aerilynn.

"So were you- hell, you were crying when you got out of your NEXT when we were having them rearmed." Luna said, casually, as the Oigami Large Grenade Cannon deactivated, allowing her to arm the 067ANLR laser rifle that Freyja had equipped, while boosting away from a destroyer-class, and using a quick turn to line a shot up with its exposed backside.

"Was not!" Kagami exclaimed rearming Brunnhilde's twin Gatling cannons and firing a barrage of bullets, which impacted the nearby Tank-class BETA, killing them with extreme ease.

Aerilynn laughed at the conversation as she fired a long range shot with her 067ANLR, picking off a slightly exposed grappler that was surrounded by destroyers. As the red laser charred the grappler, the flash of Zephiris striking down a fort in the area could be seen.

Vero Nork and Variable Infinity soared over the Valkyries. Ay Pool smiled as she released a barrage of AS missiles: Vero Nork was equipped with a very large amount of them- and as an A06 Aurora, that is all she had. The storm of missiles pounded the battlefield, as lasers flashed from Variable Infinity, which also fired a quartet of AS missiles. At virtually the same moment, Miranias released a barrage of Vertical and the Muskingum03 relation missiles herself, and Kagami responded in kind, filling the skies with missiles.

"Jeez, it's a missile carnival!" Adler exclaimed as his radar filled with purple dots representing the storm of destruction headed for the BETA's way. "I'm glad that's getting aimed at BETA and… well; Zephiris is easily fast enough to avoid all of that." Adler cringed as he spoke. "…that really is a lot." He said, shifting back to killing target after target.

The sun rose on the horizon, which coupled with the smoke turned the battlefield an eerie red. The bloody and charred corpses of countless BETA lie strewn across the battlefield, and the AF-0001IU Land Crab stood in the middle of it, surrounded by the fallen MTs and Normals, and even greater numbers of BETA. "BETA numbers are down significantly, less than one thousand remain on this battlefield… no more Fort-class." Selene said, "Our final kill count of that species was roughly two hundred sixty seven. Most of the enemy is destroyed- it's mostly Tank-class that remain. Vero Nork, Variable Infinity, Rydalith, and the Valkyries are all retreating, due to lack of ammo… Zephiris-F is the only NEXT still capable of engaging the enemy. The Land Crab is beginning to move once more. Its destination is none other than the former colony Anatolia."

"So no one was being efficient with their ammo…" Adler said, turning Zephiris to face one of the last Destroyer-class. "It's not like we screwed up or anything, but we should have a bit more ammunition after this encounter. There's seven NEXTs..."

"Let's just finish this. Someone is waiting for us…" Selene said, "Whoever it was… was trying to project to me specifically."

"She was..?"

"Yes."

"Well, whoever it is, must know you then… and if they know you, they must know me… unless she's from _that_ _time_. Of course, if she was, she wouldn't…"

"I felt no hostility in her projections… her feelings, were like a soft wind… and the recurring image of that place- the hill that overlooks the sky."

"Even so, with Anatolia destroyed, who could it possibly be..? Not to mention you need a core or Muscle Tracer to get to that place any more—back when we were just kids we went there once… and it took us all day to get there, and even longer to get back… they sent that Raven out to find us… I can't believe the old Professor used a Raven for that."

Selene laughed at the memory. "Yes… I remember. It was me, you, Maximilian, and a couple of the other kids from the colony… We all left to go there that morning, and by time we got back there, the sun was already setting… It was so pretty…!"

"Geez. You're getting me all nostalgic, Selene." Adler said, "I can't think about the past now..! I've got to concentrate on the here and now. There's still BETA to worry about- and anyways, in the end, Omer destroyed Anatolia—they sent Joshua O'Brien and the 00/A-Aretha to wipe out the colony and kill the Raven…!" Adler cringed as he spoke, and his memories fueled an anger within him that he turned upon a Grappler-class BETA, using Zephiris's Moonlight blade to sever all of its limbs, leaving it to die slowly on the ground.

"But the Raven defeated his former friend—he destroyed the 00/A Aretha… and killed Celo…"

"That didn't change what happened though- by time the Raven arrived, Aretha had already destroyed most of Anatolia- and it spread lethal amounts of Kojima Particles while doing so. I remember that day… that horrible day… I thought you died—I remember waiting for days, hoping I'd see you with the other survivors, but I never did… I was so angry at what happened- I just wanted to kill that Raven for the wrath he brought down on Anatolia..! I wanted to… So I became a Lynx for that… that's when I…!" Images of his early days as a Lynx flashed in Adler's mind. He grew angrier at that thought, remembering that he initially had worked for Omer and Algebra. He thought back to one of his earliest missions- one that the infamous Strayed had turned down- the mission to destroy Line Ark's Power Recycling Plant, Megalis. Megalis powered Line Ark's air purifiers, which allowed the country to survive, so Strayed refused to take the mission when Omer's mission broker offered it to him. However, Adler undertook the mission with sadistic glee- and flew Redeemer into the heart of the Line Ark base, and destroyed the facility with ease, even in the face of the base's laser-based Anti-Air defenses. Line Ark suffered countless casualties as a result, however thanks to money provided by another Lynx; Line Ark was capable of reconstructing the base.

"But… I'm alive. I've been alive…!"

"…that day… I killed countless people… I'm no different from what I hated… But, still…"

"You… I…"

"Omer used me… used my rage… and they hurt you—they did unspeakable things to you… I'll never forgive them. Never. I'm going to destroy that company, no matter what it takes…! I'm going to run them into the ground! " Adler yelled as he had Zephiris step on a tank-class BETA, and grind its body into the earth, shooting its limbs off in the process. "And these BETA things… I'm going to kill all of them too!"

"Adler…!"

"Never again..! I will never again let that happen! I swear it—I'll never see another scenario where I can't be with you!" Adler exclaimed, as he struck down two grappler-class with one decisive slash of the moonlight. "I promise you that."

"Adler… I won't leave you." Selene said, "And we've practically annihilated the BETA on this battlefield—although the Land Crab did a lot of the work. There's nothing left but Warrior-class in this area."

"Well… then shall we get going to that place..? I got a bit on edge thanks to that, but—maybe meeting whoever it is that is projecting to you will help me clear my head."

"Yes."

_Late Morning  
Former Colony Anatolia_

The hum of Zephiris's engines filled the air as the NEXT floated down, the dead, brown grass flowing from the wind that tore from the machine's boosters. A lone, dead tree, marred by bullet holes, stood at the top of the hill, surrounded by the stumps of others- ones destroyed years ago by 00/A Aretha and the Raven's fierce battle. A damaged communications tower stood in the large field behind the NEXT, and near it, a metallic white and crystal blue core stood silently. The machine was old- a relical second-generation Core from before the National Dismantlement War, a symbol of the Raven. It was a light Mirage model, armed with a powerful laser cannon, a laser rifle, and a laser blade.

The former colony could be seen in the distance, a dead city overshadowed by the Interior Union's Land Crab. Anatolia, once a verdant green mountain colony, home to many innocent people, now a ghost town and a place where the Kojima Contamination was so bad, that even with the best air purifiers available, it was uninhabitable. While lingering in the outskirts of the town was harmless, even minutes of exposure in the areas where Aretha unleashed its prototype Assault Armor weapon causes severe Kojima Poisoning- which is almost always lethal. For a few years following the Lynx war, the shadow of the Aretha hung over the town- until the ravaged core was recovered by Malzel of the ORCA Brigade. Afterward the core was restored and piloted by the two-sided Lynx Hari, until he was killed in action, killed by Wynne D. Fanchon at Big Box, a woman who'd meet her end alongside Roy Saaland and Maximilian Otsdarva Thermidor, all at the hands of Strayed- who took the Arteria Cranium, which lie in the western mountainous regions of America.

"…That core…?" Adler said, as he helped Selene disembark from Zephiris. "…I've never seen it before—…"

"…Mirage Orca-Rex model, White Zero— a third generation core, a National Army unit. Assigned to Ravens." A woman said, "MHD-RE/008, MCL-SS/ORCA, MAL-RE/REX, MLL-MX/EDGE… Armed with a MWG-XCW/90 Laser Rifle, and the 03-Moonlight Energy Blade, as well as a MWC-LQ/35 Hi-Laser Cannon… And Kisaragi's forbidden weapon, OP-Intensify…" She fully described the core. "With that prototype device this core is significantly more capable than even the third-generation cores— Normals. Particularly the Goppert and Dulake variants, which have similar armaments."

"OP-Intensify? ... where have I heard that before?" Adler said, "And just who are you..?"

"Kisaragi was shut down for it… and then… Omer Science Technology's 'Silent Night' Project— just another attempt at creating a Living Quantum Computer for AC use. Considering you were a former Omer pilot, you should've heard about it." The woman said. "…and can you not remember? Or am I mistaken?"

"Fiona… Jarnefeldt…?" Selene said.

Adler gasped. "Fiona!?" The woman who was so close to the Raven of Anatolia- his operator, his partner, and ultimately, his lover.

"…You two really are those kids from that day." Fiona said, stepping out from behind the tree.

"…" Adler was speechless as he looked at the woman. Despite her firm stance, her eyes radiated a sense of deep sadness. "Of course", Adler thought. "CUBE killed her husband— the Raven, no Lynx, who piloted White Glint."

A few years previous, the League saw White Glint and Line Ark as threat, so they sent Otsdarva and CUBE to kill him. However, Line Ark hired Strayed. The four NEXTs fought fiercely, and in the end, Otsdarva drowned when Stasis lost its boosters due to a stray shot from White Glint. CUBE then killed White Glint by concentrated machine gun fire, only himself to be killed by Strayed. The four most powerful Lynx in the world at the time, and only Strayed survived. Of course, the whole battle was a ruse: Otsdarva had planned the whole thing, knowing the greatest threat to the Closed Plan was the man who silenced Rayleonard- Fiona's Raven. Under the guise of eliminating threats to the League, he faked his own death and with that brought ORCA to the surface, and on July 31, launched an all out attack on the Arteria, with Strayed taking Carpals. With GA's Ulna, along with three other Arteria facilities, completely destroyed, and more important ones captured by ORCA it was only a matter of time until the Closed Plan would occur. This forced the League's hand- knowing that ORCA was going to win; they had to deploy the Answerer, the most powerful of all Arms Forts. Yet even the might of the Answerer fell before Strayed; a single slash of a 07-Moonlight to a critical area of the massive AF triggered a chain reaction, destroying it in one fell swoop. With the Answerer destroyed, the League submitted itself to ORCA. ORCA consented to protect the League, futilely agreeing to keep the existence of the Assault Cells secret and denounced the actions of Old King, who was slain by Roadie and May Greenfield after attacking Cradle03. However, Brass Maiden Wynne D. Fanchon would not be swain, she allied with the Independent, Roy Saaland, and tried to hold the Arteria Cranium against ORCA- the two fought hard, but were killed in action by Strayed- the last ORCA member.

"…So, I wasn't mistaken…" Selene said. "You were trying to reach… us."

Fiona nodded. "I couldn't fight during that battle- the League now believes me to be an asset. Years ago, I was nothing more than a nuisance to them… although…"

"White Glint…" Adler said, "Line Ark's greatest asset… it was you and him behind it… The ones who brought _Omer's_ wrath upon Anatolia…"

"We didn't plan on it ending that way. We only fought to protect Anatolia… he to protect me, and I for him, and my father. When Emil passed, I was devastated, but I still had him- and we'd continue our fight for freedom, with Line Ark our vessel. However…" Fiona looked almost as if she was going to cry. "Line Ark fell- without us, they were powerless. Without Megalis, their people died day in and day out."

"Then the adopted daughter of a man he killed took his place…" Selene spoke, her words not quite her own.

"Victoria… Why would she…?"

"She believed fully in Line Ark's ideals- that people should be able to live freely, without the Corporations. She got that from Berlioz himself… it's sad the way it had to turn out."

"But still…!"

"Well, what of you, Adler? You- after Anatolia was destroyed— you joined Omer."

"I didn't know what they had done..! I didn't know that they were the ones who unleashed Aretha on us that day! I thought Selene was dead— so I only wanted power..!"

"And… you would try to obtain 'power' at any cost… so you became a Lynx using Omer's technology— what they took from GA, even though after all of my father's tests, you were incompatible with a NEXT."

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

"You're… just like him, but with a different motivation, although looking at you and Selene, no, perhaps I'm wrong- it's the same. The only real difference is that he's one of those who can control a NEXT completely without special devices."

"What do you mean…?"

"You and he are… Selene… would you mind helping me? I… I'm not very good at this- I can, but I'm nothing compared to him, or you even."

Selene nodded. "Fiona… Adler…"

"Gah!" Adler held his head and blinked his eyes. "What is this sensation..? It's… it's like… so is this… 'Projection'?"

"Yes… she wants us to see her memories— ones that he left there."

_August 13th, 2107  
Mountains near Anatolia_

"...Damn. _What is this thing…?! Is this a NEXT?!"_ A man's voice echoed. The man looked into a corner, his reflection- that of a silver-white haired man in his early twenties was seen. A look of terror was on his face- yet his blue-purple eyes reflected a look of confidence, revealing his state of emotional confusion.

"…ika… respond!" a transmission responded.

"I've ran into a bit of trouble- an EU Raven is proving himself quite the nuisance." A woman said, "I'll take care of him and continue the mission."

"It's just a Normal. It shouldn't be an issue for you."

"…Damn- if that's really one of the twenty six… I'm dead." The man said, looking into the distance. A carnation pink core hovered in the distance. There was no mistaking it- the core was Leonemeccanica NEXT: the Y01 Tellus. Ciliegio— The Number Sixteen Original, Kasumi Sumika's NEXT. "…even if it is a NEXT, I can still…" the man said, firing his AC's boosters and moving as quickly as possible, deploying his 03-Moonlight blade and firing a large laser blast from the laser cannon.

"He deployed a Blade?" the woman, Kasumi Sumika said, Ciliegio firing a quick boost, avoiding the wave of purple plasma, but taking the Hi-Laser blast directly. "OP-Intensify? That's why the EU is holding out so long… cunning rats- using illegal technology like that."

"…damn. She took that hit as if it was nothing- the Hi-Laser Cannon is my best weapon… I'm really going to die here—" The man swallowed as he fired up his AC's boosters. "The difference between a NEXT and a Normal is just that much…"

The ground exploded where the Raven's AC once stood- Ciliegio's Pitone railgun arcing with energy, steaming with liquid nitrogen as the weapon cooled itself. "…He's good. I'll give him that, but he's still just a Raven, no match for me."

"I get it. She's slightly overconfident… although, in this situation, all I can do is try to keep her away from the city. She has every right to be… I'm going to die." The raven consigned himself to his death- he knew he had no chance to destroy the NEXT. He turned his AC and set it to full run- and as he neared a clearing in the mountain area, he fired his boosters, taking a direct shot at Ciliegio as he did, but his AC missed the cliff. "Dammit! Too early!"

"…Too bad." Sumika said, firing her Pitone again, the round slamming into the Raven's AC, obliterating its legs, sending it down into the ravine below. "… You were a good Raven, too bad you had to die like that. I'm sorry… Command, this is Kasumi Sumika, target Raven destroyed."

"It took you that long to destroy a single Normal..? That's not very impressive, Sumika."

"The Raven's AC was equipped with OP-Intensify. Is that why you're sending me after this particular unit?"

"Clever, Lynx… Either way, even when equipped with that twisted device, a Normal is clearly no match for a NEXT. Proceed with the mission. All target Ravens' ACs need to be eliminated. Once they're gone, the EU will be begging for our Mercy."

"Confirmed." Sumika said, Ciliegio activating its Overed Boost and leaving the area.

"…" The man gasped, clutching his collar in pain. "…" He tried to say something, but was unable to speak- a piece of metal was jammed into his throat. He was alive and capable of breathing, but that was extremely difficult and he couldn't speak. "Damn… she's not even going to finish me. She's just going to leave me to die here in this pathetic state…" he thought, his eyes filled with tears of pain. He blacked out.

"…That AC we saw just went down…" Fiona said, "I hope he's still alive…"

"You're going to have to face the fact that he may be dead, Fiona. It'd be great for us if he's still alive, but Sumika wiped out A-01- and of them, there have been no survivors so far…" A man said.

"I know, but Father is part of the NEXT development team… I know… I know too much…" She seemed to be drifting off.

"We've found his AC!... Life signs detected…!"

"Oh, please be ok..!"

"We can't get any real data on his condition- his fortified suit isn't transmitting everything- it may have been damaged. He's alive at the very least, though… although, considering his AC's condition, that's a miracle. Looks like Sumika didn't quite hit the mark- the AC's lost its legs, and most of its frame, but the generator and Cockpit block took no serious damage."

"…Just get him out of there..!"

"_If I die, let it be in battle, so by the hands of a Valkyrie… guide me to Valhalla…"_

_Colony Anatolia, During the Lynx War_

"…Just come home to us." Fiona said, her eyes full of worry, as the Raven climbed into his NEXT's cockpit block. "Berlioz is a very dangerous foe, and the rest of the Rayleonard squad are all elite originals…"

The Raven looked back into Fiona's eyes, a slight smile on his face.

"I see… I trust you. You'll be alright. Don't die out there on us… on me."

The Raven's NEXT was white and black- a sign of things to come, Adler was sure, however, in all the descriptions of White Glint- this NEXT was unlike any of them. It wasn't a very solid image, so Adler couldn't tell what the NEXT was.

"I know you can feel it… I'm worried about you. Don't die."

_Following the Battle for Old Peace City  
_

"_You were amazing out there! Four NEXTs— Berlioz… even without back up…" _Fiona's eyes were full of tears. _"All of this is so unfair to ask of you… when this war is done, let's get away from it all…" _Fiona threw herself at the Raven as he got out of his tattered NEXT. He caught her in his arms, but she nearly knocked him over, his eyes half-open and his body shaking. _"You should get some rest… Sleep well, soldier."_

The images faded from Adler's head, he quickly realized he was standing with Selene and Fiona- a cold wind blew by them as they stood there. "But, we couldn't ever get away from what we had set in motion. My father Emil, forced him to fight that day, even when his allies had fallen before he got there. Our only thought was ending the Lynx War as quickly as possible. We made plans with Joshua O'Brien the very next day- together we'd launch simultaneous attacks on Rayleonard and Akavit. The Raven- he'd destroy Exavil- Rayleonard's Headquarters. Joshua demolished Akavit's HQ and both companies fell- in the end only GA, the Interior Union, and Omer remained- BFF lost the Queenslance to the Raven, and we took down Exavil."

"Then… Aretha came…" Selene said, her body shaking in fear as images of the monstrous core filled her mind.

"Aretha…" Adler said. "…That day… I was coming back from the store, only to see Aretha destroy my house— I remember it like it was yesterday… I remember running towards it- only to be tackled and dragged down into the Shelters by the Soldiers… I didn't see Selene down there- I didn't see her again for years… That's… that's why…"

"The Raven had to kill his best friend that day. Joshua O'Brien, his hands force by Omer Science Technology- who would've annihilated Aspina had he not complied… I suppose it was guilt for that day, but _he_ wouldn't let us run, we had to fight. Although I realized we couldn't run either- Omer would hunt us to the ends of the earth if we ran."

_Line Ark, a couple Years Ago_

"I must appear to be the devil to you, then." A woman with long red hair and wide, scarlet eyes said. "After all, I'm why your husband can't even speak. Hell, you don't even know his name as a result."

"It doesn't matter, Sumika." Fiona responded. "—you and… Strayed, is it, have agreed to help us here."

"You take such things so gracefully, Fiona. I'm surprised; after all you've gone through."

"He's been the one to suffer, not me."

"I suppose you're right. But you— you truly love him right? So I can't imagine you seeing me, the woman who did that to him, is pleasant."

"No, you're helping us- our fight for freedom— I want nothing more than to just put our terrible times behind us and settle down somewhere- but I, no, we, can't do that. _Sacrifice everything to save what's most important to you._"

"I suppose you're right. The League wanted a Lynx, so they got one. But this man, his ideals- they're exactly that, so he turned down the League's offer of Eight-hundred thousand COAM to fight Line Ark, and sided with you instead. He's certainly got guts."

"You like him?" Fiona laughed.

"Ke…? That idiot?" Sumika smiled, "No way. Not like you and your Raven."

_Sunset, Line Ark, that Day_

"All those slimy politicians with all their empty calls to arms, in the name of Liberty. I'll sink the whole lot of you to the bottom of the ocean." Otsdarva said, "You ready Fragile?"

"Preparations complete." CUBE responded, his voice inhuman as he was.

"Good to hear. Move out."

The two League NEXTs fired their Overed Boosts and began closing on Line Ark's final defenses.

"This is the Operator of White Glint. You are trespassing on Line Ark territory. If you do not fall back immediately, we will be forced to respond with Lethal Force." Fiona said on an open channel as White Glint landed on Line Ark's super-highway.

"This is the Operator of Strayed. We will assist in your elimination if you do not comply with White Glint's demands." Sumika said, following Fiona.

"Humph, so it's Fiona Jarnefeldt..! What right do you have to speak, you who brought down Anatolia...!?" Otsdarva chided. "And, the Lynx we sought after— he's betrayed us too."

"It looks like you've come to fight…!" Fiona said.

"We've detected two enemy NEXTs. Stasis and Fragile." Sumika said, "Stasis, it's the Rank one Lynx. The League isn't holding anything back. Show us what you can do."

The NEXTs flew into battle- two NEXTs on both sides- White Glint, and the jet-black Rayleonard model, Strayed.

"White Glint operator Fiona Jarnefeldt here. We appreciate the assistance. Good luck to both of us." Fiona said, hailing Strayed.

The NEXTs dashed around the pillars of the super-highway. Bullets rained across the battlefield, and the air was filled with noise. White Glint made a critical shot- a single bullet impacted the back of Stasis after the brilliant flash of White Glint's Assault Armor filled the skies, tearing away Stasis's Primal Armor.

"What?! Main Booster malfunction!? I've hit the water?! Boosters won't engage…! Hull breach? I'm taking on water! Dammit! I won't go down like this!" Otsdarva panicked as Stasis began sinking.

"Is he sinking into the Ocean? Just like that?! Pathetic." Sumika said, looking at the sorry sight of Stasis. Strayed came around a pillar, and fired an energy weapon at Fragile, which took the hit directly, burning away a large portion of the ultra light X-Soberero's pathetic armor.

"Hmm… It seems you've left me no choice. Initiating Plan-D." CUBE said. Suddenly Fragile accelerated. Its maneuvers became more complex, faster. Its movement was insane, and the craft seemed to glow an eerie green- its Primal Armor was functioning, but unstable. It trained its cannons on White Glint.

"I'm sorry... Fiona… It's time…" Words formed on the image. This was, Adler figured, the Raven's way of speaking, having realized that the Raven couldn't speak.

"…Raven…!" Fiona cried. "I see now…" she muttered under her breath.

Fragile's weapons destroyed White Glint's Primal Armor almost immediately. The core stopped functioning soon afterwards.

"White Glint is disabled. He cannot come to your help any longer." Fiona said to Strayed, quickly regaining her composure.

"Now it is one on one." CUBE said, his voice stranger than usual. "Test applicability increased. Excellent."

"…Kill CUBE…" Sumika said looking over at Fiona, who was crying in her seat.

"ENERGY FLOW IS REVERSING THROUGH THE AMS?!" CUBE panicked. "AAAAUGH!" his cries of sheer pain filled everything. Strayed didn't kill CUBE directly, no a stray laser blast grazed Fragile, triggering a swift reaction- the primary current of the NEXT reversed, and painfully electrocuted the Lynx.

"…In the end, only you remain. I don't believe it." Sumika said- the battle for Line Ark was over. "You're more than I dared hope for."

Fiona then spoke up. Her words were clearly not her own. "_Fellow Lynx_, allow me to express _our_ gratitude. However, this might mean the end of Line Ark…"

"So, that's when you lost him…" Adler said, looking down. "I had heard White Glint was destroyed, but…"

"In all of a sense, yes."

"I'm sorry, Fiona…" Selene said, her eyes filling with tears. "He meant a lot to you…"

"My tale didn't end there…" Fiona said.

_Megalis Outer Command, Following the Battle of Line Ark_

"A single NEXT?!" A woman exclaimed. "...dammit, can we take a NEXT without White Glint?!"

"It's Omer's new pilot… Adler Vermil. He's an Unranked Lynx. NEXT Redeemer is an Algebra Quadraped armed with machine guns and a grenade cannon... "

"…He's past the first defense line. Our Anti-Air Defenses can't fire fast enough to compensate for a Vanguard Overed Boost!"

"…If only White Glint was here..! If only _Strayed_ was here!" The woman cried. "Doesn't this man know, if Megalis is destroyed, millions will die!?"

"Second defense line breached! Target has yet to be hit by _any _of our Plasma cannons..!"

"What's the status of the Procyon field!?"

"Full power!"

"Good. He'll purge his VOB once he's in the effective range of that..!"

"The Procyon field though… will it stop him?!"

"We can only hope..!"

"He's passed the third line! The target NEXT is just too fast!"

"He's almost in range of our automated Procyon cannons! ...! Fiona! Get out of here, quickly..! We've already lost your husband… we can't lose you too!"

"I'll stay till the very end." Fiona said, "I'd rather die fighting here than give up on our ideals-_he_ taught me that. '_Sacrifice everything to save what's most important to you. Be desperate to carry out your duty— achieve your mission with all your might. Despair not, until your final breath. Never die in vain: Make your death count!'_"

"Well… we can't argue with that, Fiona..!"

"Final defense line breached! His VOB is purging! Procyon—! He just shot the defense computer full of holes! The Procyons are now firing entirely on their—! No! That's his plan! He's entered Megalis! Our own defenses are tearing it apart!... Megalis won't last under that kind of fire power!"

"Now attempting remote shutdown. Hopefully not too much structural damage will be sustained: he's just one of Omer's dogs: he'll leave as soon as he believes it's down— we can rebuild it..!"

"System shutdown confirmed successful. Procyon energy cannons ceasing fire."

"…What?! Assault Armor detonation confirmed! Critical structural failure of Megalis facility! No! That monster!"

"He's continuing the attack! Even greater damage..! This…! It could take us years to rebuild!"

"He's not stopping! He's targeting just about every critical component of the entire base! Those grenades he's firing… they're going to cause the whole facility to become completely unusable..!"

"What kind of monster is he!?"

"There's absolutely no response from the on-site team…!"

"Wiped out?!"

"Likely..! Dammit..! Megalis is gone..! Line Ark just doesn't have the funds to rebuild…! It's over…! Line Ark is finished…!"

_Early Evening  
Former Colony Anatolia_

"Dammit!" Adler exclaimed. "I know..! That's it, you just wanted to point out the fact that I made _everything _worse for you, isn't it..! First you lose your husband due to war, and then I blow Megalis to hell five times over..!"

"It was a clever plan you had, Adler- using Megalis's own defenses against it, then demolishing the entire facility. I'm lucky you never found us. The one survivor of the main base said you were laughing as you destroyed the facility."

"So what. I'm a terrible person. Deal with it. I've said it countless times; the only person on this Earth who matters to me is Selene." Adler turned towards Zephiris. "Selene… Let's go. This woman- this ghost from the past…"

"I'm not trying to make you feel worse about it than you already do." Fiona said.

"I have never felt bad about what I did. My only thought to the scenario is my burning hatred for what I was. I should've never worked with Omer!"

"Is that truly so, Adler? Your emotions betray your words."

"I just want to tell you something… If you've got a shot at love- at being happy, take it."

"Huh? What does that mean..? And what does bringing up my past have to do with it?!"

"If you don't, you may never… have another chance."

"What do you mean..?"

Selene smiled. "I understand you, Fiona, but…"

"Selene..?"

"Adler… let's get going. I'm hungry and the base is a good while away…!" Selene said, "Thank you… Fiona…!"

"I don't get this at all, but I'm all for getting away from someone who just wants to bring up my past." Adler said, starting to walk toward Zephiris.

"You've got someone to be strong for. You may have once took lives with glee- but once give another shot… just remember it… '_Sacrifice everything to save what's most important to you. Be desperate to carry out your duty— achieve your mission with all your might. Despair not, until your final breath. Never die in vain: Make your death count!'…_ That's the point of my final story… not that you destroyed Megalis." Fiona said watching the two board their NEXT. "…Those kids from that day… they're still together. Doesn't that make _you_ happy…?" Fiona said, turning towards the tree that stood silently, catching sight of a piece of fabric drifting in the wind. "You could tell…"

_Nighttime  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Lynx Living Quarters_

"Selene…" Adler said, looking at the blonde-haired girl sitting next to him. "So… we meet Fiona Jarnefeldt, and what does she do? Remind me that I'm responsible for the deaths of who knows how many people in Line Ark."

"…That doesn't bother me." Selene said, "I know those memories hurt you, Adler… that painful time."

"I don't know what I'd do— If I hadn't been working with Omer, I'd never had found you. But because of them, I became a monster."

"You're not a monster."

"…I killed countless people. I _laughed_ as I tore Megalis to pieces, and I _KNEW_ _EXACTLY _what my actions were going to cause- it made me _happy _to know I could easily kill countless people. How am I not?"

Selene turned towards Adler and took hold of him. "You're not because I say you're not."

"What?"

"To me, you'll always be Adler, Adler. No matter what happens, you're still a person, and you'll always be there for me— and I'll never leave you again… you always say to everyone that I'm the only person who you care about— If that's true, then you can't be a monster. A monster is like the BETA— they wouldn't even care about a single person… besides if 'the one person you care about' doesn't think you're a monster…"

"Selene…!" Adler began to cry. "I—"

"Don't say anything Adler." Selene said, placing her head on his shoulder. "I wasn't around back then…"

"…I'm nothing without you, Selene. I can't pilot a NEXT without special accommodations, I can't do anything… I can't even be a person without you— if I didn't have you, I'd be no different from the BETA..!"

"No, you would… you'd never be like the BETA, even if you didn't have me, Adler."

"…?"

"You're a person. You feel regret for what happened with Megalis— for Omer using you-..!"

"I do, but that's only my desire for revenge for what they did to you..!"

"But… I'm fine. I just get sick easy… but ever since I was real little, I've been that way…"

"Yeah… that's true. You always got sick. I vaguely remember it, but you got sick at my fourth birthday party… threw up and ruined our cake."

"Yeah… that made everyone sad. Maximilian started yelling at me, but you got really angry at him."

"He made you cry, so I punched him in the face... I remember that." Adler laughed. "I had no clue back then who he would be… back then we were just kids."

"Maximilian Otsdarva Thermidor… the ORCA leader…" Selene said. "He… never changed, did he?"

"No… He was always the way he was. He got me involved with Omer because he knew I wanted to gain power- I thought you were dead, and the only thing I could think is to become strong enough to avenge you, even though I had no target for my vengeance- the Raven had already killed Joshua- and destroyed the Aretha. Omer, they took his word like it was gold— but he always had that sense of duty, that sense of sacrifice… He was a bit arrogant and cocky though."

"_Sacrifice everything to save what's most important to you." _Fiona's words echoed in Adler's head. "_Be desperate to carry out your duty— achieve your mission with all your might…"_

"Well, I've got to get to bed…" Selene said, as she got up. "We've got a day of training tomorrow… I'll see you in the morning… Good night, Adler."

"Good night, Selene." Adler said, as he walked to the door of the room with her. "See you in the morning." Selene smiled as she left, the door shutting behind her with a distinct sound.

"…If you've got a shot at love- at being happy, take it. If you don't, you may never… have another chance."

"Dammit, Fiona, is this what you meant by that?! You—! You're like everyone else! She's like my sister—! Why does everyone assume I'm _in love _with her?" Adler shouted. "…Selene…"


	9. See you on the Eurofront, Day 4

_I'll See You...On The Eurofront!_

* * *

_Three and a half Years Ago  
Aspina Colony— OMER Rovaniemi Research Facility_

"…The catalyst for the project…" A man in an OMER uniform said, "…are you certain?"

Adler walked down the hall, paying no mind to the man who threw a quick glance out the window. "…What the hell is going on? Why would OMER send me out here…! I'm no guard, if that's what they want…"

"…That man is more dangerous than any other Lynx we have…" the man in the room said, continuing his conversation, keeping his eyes on Adler. "…And who knows what will happen… I see then. For the Storm God's awakening..." The man kept his gaze on Adler, and pressed a switch before taking a sip of vodka out of a bottle sitting on his desk. "Well… we shall see what happens now…I won't be here for the aftermath… It's just not my problem anymore." His words never reached outside of his room, as a steel shutter closed, sealing him in total darkness, save for the eerie red light of the emergency lights that illuminated the door. The heavy sound of something hitting the floor, followed by glass shattering echoed through the room, never permeating the window.

"Hmm..? That's strange, that door opened without me doing anything." Adler muttered to himself. "Just what is going on…? Besides the guards, I saw at the gate… I haven't spoken to _anyone_ since I got here. The only thing I know is that I'm supposed to go to this facility, get to level B32, and await further orders... Why that deep into the facility… I'm just a Lynx. There's no need, and why wasn't Redeemer with the rest of the NEXTs here either..? I was told to have it in Hangar OM-3… there's plenty of room in OM-1 and OM-2…"

He walked into the room that had opened. In front of him lay a young, blonde haired girl on what appeared to be a mixture of a bed and an operating table. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but at the same time, Adler couldn't even determine if she was alive. Braces, keeping her locked to the table, locked her wrists down and so were her ankles. She wore a Fortified Suit, similar to that of a Lynx, yet it was radically different at the same time. "What the hell..?" he muttered as he looked at the girl. He closed his eyes and winced. "No… she died. Years ago. This has to be someone else." He sat down on a free chair, unable to keep his eyes off the girl. "She looks so much like Selene…" Adler muttered, his eyes starting to fill with tears as he remembered his childhood friend. "…dammit. I want her back…" He looked around the room, which was littered with cables running from various machines to others, and many more running to the table and bed. Catching sight of a free-floating unearthly green loose Kojima Particle put Adler on edge immediately, causing him to cover his mouth with his hand. "…What am I doing? I can't protect myself from Kojima this way… and what the hell are they doing with this girl anyways?" His words hardly audible over the consistent hum of the machinery.

_Adler…_

Adler shook as what appeared to be his name seemed to float in his vision, obscuring the sight of the girl and what Adler had realized to be obviously Kojima Powered technology.

_Is that you…!?_

"Yes. Yes… It is... who are you!? What do you want with me?!" Adler shouted in response as the words formed, not even bothering to keep his voice in check for the sleeping girl. "What the hell, Omer?! Why would you assign me to such a place?!"

…_I must… Awaken the Storm God._

"What the hell does that even mean!?" Adler exclaimed. "I'm a Lynx, not a scientist! I'm not like Celo or CUBE. Hell, I'm not even anything like Joshua O'Brien!"

…_Adler… Help Me…_

"Help you?! Who the hell are you!?" Adler exclaimed looking around the room- besides the girl, who still slept, there was no one else there. "I must be losing my mind… did I breathe too much Kojima..?"

…_Adler… Help Me…_

"Why…how…? What the hell is going on?!" his eyes darted around the room, trying to find the source of the words.

_Adler… I must awaken the Storm God… Help me… Please…_

"Awaken the Storm God..? What the hell!? How am I supposed to know what that even is!?"

_It hurts… It's so dark… I'm scared…_

"Who the hell are you?!"

_They're going to… no…! Adler..!_

"What…? What the hell...?!" Adler looked around the room. Two lights on the largest of the machines connected to the bed flickered before turning red.

…_I must awaken the Storm God. In a swarm of eternal pain… He will come… The princess to be sacrificed, his sword the slayer of the beast… I must awaken the Storm God._

"I don't get this at all. What the hell is Omer doing sending me out here… Just to drive me insane?"

_Adler… Help Me…!_

"I can't help you, whoever you are! I don't even know…!" Adler exclaimed. The machine, which had turned its lights red, let loose a low rumble. It began to shake, and emit light from what appeared to be exhaust vents on its sides.

_I… need… no..! It's beginning…! Help me, Adler!_

"How!?" Adler exclaimed as he looked around the room, yet for some reason he instinctively drew his sidearm. He had left his HL1-Anti MT Rifle in a locker a few flights of stairs up, but still, as a Lynx carried his pistol.

_Stop it..! Stop it! Stop it! No..! Adler…_

"What?! Stop what!?" Adler exclaimed, "That machine?!"

_..Save me, Adler…! I…!_

"Just what the hell is going on!?"

…_Destroy it… before…!_

"Fine... on the condition you tell me who you…"

_Selene. Selene Sestina._

Adler froze. "Selene…!?" He turned his eyes to the girl lying on the table. "No… it couldn't be..! She died..!"

_Adler..! I'm…! Hurry..! Please..! It hurts..! Don't let…!_

Adler looked up from the girl, and without thinking discharged his weapon-, a bullet soared straight into the machine, which made a strange sound as it ground to a halt.

_Adler…! Thank you..! You…! It's really you!_

Adler breathed heavily. His eyes darted around the room, nothing seemed to change. No alarms, no nothing. A monitor next to the destroyed machine lit up, displaying the words "System Error."

…_I must awaken the Storm God…I must awaken the Storm God. In a swarm of eternal pain… He will come… The princess to be sacrificed, his sword the slayer of the beast… I must awaken the Storm God…_

"Selene..?" Adler asked. "Just what do you mean..?"

_He sleeps, unwaking…_

"What..!? I don't get this at all!" Adler asked, looking at the girl. "Selene… is that really you..?"

_Release…_

"Release..? Release what?"

…_Eternal night… Eternal silence…_

"Selene..?"

_I must awaken the Storm God._

"I get it… but who or what is the Storm God? And if…!"

_I must awaken… help me, Adler._

"How am I going help..? I don't even know…"

_I must awaken._

"You…? Wait…!" Adler looked at the girl. Her eyes twitched, still closed. She seemed to shake frailly, bound by the very machine she lay in.

_Only in the night… only at the palace of…_

"I don't get it…! Selene, if that's you, tell me what's going on? You know I'd protect you at all costs. If you're alive, I want you to be with me… so please…" Adler spoke, his words slightly panicked. He started to back away from the table.

_No..! Don't leave me..! Help me, Adler..!_

"How!?"

_Release…! Release and..!_

"How do... wait… that monitor..!" Adler spoke; cutting off his own question as he spotted the monitor had changed from "System Error" to "Confirm release?"

_Only in the night, the palace of the Holy King._

"That's…" Adler spoke as he touched the monitor, which, as he expected was a touch-screen interface. He quickly struck the "Yes" button and was prompted for a password.

_Only in the night, the palace of the Holy King._

"Is that the password?" Adler asked, typing it using the keyboard that sat on the desk next to the monitor.

"Release confirmed. Beginning process. Subject SN-00-1034. Vitality signs normal." The sounds of other machines clicking to life echoed in the otherwise silent room. "Catalyst confirmed. Subject awakening. System procedures proving nominal."

Adler turned towards the girl, who still lie on the table, the restraining cuffs detached from her wrists and ankles, and the lights in the room started to dim. He walked over to her and looked at her face. "Selene… there… is it really you…? Are you really alive?"

Her eyes opened slowly, revealing that they had changed from how Adler had remembered it- they had always been green, but now it seemed almost unnatural- almost as if her eyes were the same color as Kojima Particles. "Ad…ler…?" She asked— Adler hadn't seen or heard her in years, but instantly recognized her voice. "Adler… is that you..?" she asked weakly, trying to sit up.

"Selene…!" Adler exclaimed "…Selene..! It is you..!"

"Adler..!" Selene said, as she climbed off the bed, and immediately fell into Adler.

"Selene..!? Are you alright? What happened to you..?"

"Adler… you… you're with them…?" She said, looking at him, righting herself. "Omer…?"

"What? What's wrong with…?"

"Adler… no… that… you… you'd never hurt me… but…"

"What? Did Omer's lab monkeys do—?!"

"Ahh..!" She screamed, collapsing into Adler once more. "No..! Even you!"

"What?! You're right! I'd never hurt you! You know that..!"

"..I… Must Awaken the Storm God… that is my purpose. I…" Selene's words were off and made no sense to Adler who looked on in sheer horror as his childhood friend clutched her head in agony. "I… it hurts… no…! I can't take it…!"

"Selene!" Adler cried as he placed his arms around her. "You're alive…! But…! What happened?! Why are you in pain!?"

"…If I don't awaken him, everyone will die."

"Awaken who?"

"…the Storm God."

"You keep saying that… who's the 'Storm God'?"

"I… _he will save us_… I don't…"

"What?"

Selene didn't respond to Adler's question, instead she just cried. "Adler… I… we… we must leave this place. Leave here and never come back. They'll… kill you if you're with me… but…"

"What? Why'd—no..! I'll kill them first—I can already tell, just looking at you…"

"What…?"

"They hurt you didn't they?"

"…yes. I…"

"Well, you remember what happens to people who hurt you…!"

"Adler… I'm glad you're still you… I'm not me anymore…"

"How are you not…? I'm looking right at you—you're exactly how I remember you..! You can't be anything else!"

"…but…"

"I don't care what they did to you- you're still alive, and that's what counts. They'll get theirs; I'll make sure of it…"

"You're a Lynx now, aren't you..?"

"Yes. That's why I'm in this Omer uniform. I talked it over with Maximilian… he got me into Omer as a Lynx candidate …they got me a NEXT… Redeemer…"

"…That's a fitting name for… AAAAGH!" Selene cried out in pain, holding her head. "Please… Adler…!"

"Please what…? Just hold on, Selene…!" Adler said. "Dammit… I just found her… alive. She can't die on me… not now." He thought, as he picked her up- she was notably warm, and surprisingly light. He realized he may have gotten stronger, but even so, she was abnormally light.

"…Just get me… out of here… away from them…!" She said weakly. "…I won't die… just get me out…"

"Alright, Selene…!"

_**Day 4**__–Noon  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Simulator Room_

"Adler!" Kagami exclaimed. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"That's… the fourth time today… is something just wrong with you, Adler?" Lunaterisa asked a tone of concern in her voice.

"…I'm…fine." Adler responded. "I'm just a bit distracted."

"We can tell." Miranias said. "I know it's difficult for you to work without Selene, but…"

"I know, I know, the training is necessary. I need to be able to use Redeemer in the case Zephiris is disabled… it's not like the Gear Tunnel simulation is much of anything at all though- you've all seen it—there's virtually no BETA in the simulation, where there was eleven thousand yesterday, and five thousand the other day."

"Well, the Simulation is based on the assumption that our Ursragna units had already engaged the enemy." Colonel Mary said, walking up on the group of Lynx. "Adler… your lack of effort is clearly showing. You've failed these simulations four times due to rookie mistakes."

"I'm a bit distracted… I know, I have to do these missions without Selene, but it's really bothersome. Besides engaging weak enemies in these predictable scenarios… it's extremely boring—can we even say it's training when obviously you've just taken the data from when Strayed wiped out Omer's units in these tunnels and changed the enemy to BETA..?"

"Yeah, the lazy coward just sorta blacked out in the middle of that last one." Kagami said, clearly irritated.

"Are you supposing that we change the simulation, Adler?" Mary asked. "You are known to the Union as a highly capable Lynx, so we'll take your word."

"Yeah- like I've said, this mission lacks any real use- we've all seen how the BETA work. There's tons of them- and only a handful in any of the simulations we've run, and the Heavy-Laser Class BETA are in the same locations as the Procyon Energy cannons in the Strayed Data, and they don't move… I will say our losses are down to the fact that I'm distracted… well that and the fact that Mira hanging on to that old layout of hers is useless in the Gear Tunnel."

"Hmm… well, I suppose we'll set you, Mira, Kagami, and Luna up for Operation Ratatosk. Hopefully, you've cleared your head by then, Adler." Mary said, turning away from the Lynx.

"Gee, thanks, Adler..! Ratatosk. Dammit. We just can't beat that scenario..!" Miranias said. "And what do you mean I'm useless?"

"Ratatosk? What exactly is that?" Adler asked, as images of his past flashed through his head.

"It's us in a Deep Kojima facility, up against the BETA. It's a relatively new simulation based on data from the Excalibur interruption and your Richland data… We just need to hold the facility for a certain amount of time—although, even with the full Valkyrie formation, we've never succeeded." Lunaterisa said.

"Sounds like a real pain, but it's probably better than the Gear Tunnel scenario." Adler responded, but suddenly he collapsed.

"Adler!?" Lunaterisa shouted.

_Aspina Colony— OMER Rovaniemi Research Facility, B-5_

"There he is..!" A soldier shouted, "The one who's attempting to take the subject..!"

"Do not fire on the subject..! We have permission to kill the Lynx..!" Another soldier shouted, as a high-caliber bullet shot past him, killing a man behind him.

"Die, you Omer bastards..!" Adler shouted, pulling the trigger on his HL-1, killing another soldier. "You're all going to pay for what you did to Selene!"

"…Hurry Adler…" Selene said weakly, covering her head with her hands and wincing as Adler fired his rifle again.

"…I know. We've got to get to Hangar OM-3… to Redeemer."

"…OM-3… OM-3… turn left… avoid them… no… something blocks the path…" Selene said, her voice wavering. "If you—we can get past the giant, we can get to OM-3 unobstructed."

"The giant..? What do you mean?"

"Just go left ahead…!"

Sirens blared as Adler and Selene ran down the hall. There weren't any guards to the main elevator that led to the Hangar, OM-3. However a sense of dread came over Adler has he entered the Elevator. "…the giant…" He muttered, wondering what it was that Selene had spoken of. "Selene… just what did they do to you…?" Adler muttered as the Elevator rose to the Hangar Block on the first Basement floor. The Elevator opened, still no guards, despite the constant alarms and alerts as to where Adler and Selene were heading, leading Adler to believe that they were simply going to overwhelm him at Redeemer. He ran, carrying Selene, so that she would not have to move on her own. Hangar OM-3 was at the end of the hall, which seemed miles away.

"Adler… be careful… they'll kill…" Selene said her voice still extremely weak. "Be ready…"

"Huh?" Adler said, as the two reached the entrance to the Hangar. "… Wait here. I can't lose you the moment I've found you again…" He said, setting the girl down and entering a pass code to the hangar.

"…I will… just…" Selene said, moving up next to the door, opposite to Adler.

"…Selene… we're almost out of here." Adler said, turning towards the door, which slid open. His eyes widened almost immediately as he looked into the hangar. There were no guards or personnel, and his NEXT, Redeemer was perfectly fine. However, he quickly saw something that sent a shock down his spine. A machine, roughly sixteen meters tall, stood in the middle of the hangar. It had a Hexagon-shaped core perched atop two reverse-jointed legs. On the sides of its body were two pairs of weapons- a light rifle and a light machine gun. On top of it, two sets of six rocket launchers. "Damn… a Mamluk!"

The machine immediately began firing its machine guns, strafing the doorway, preventing Adler from entering the hangar, but stopping short of hitting the walls or Adler himself.

"Haha! That's as far as you get, rogue Lynx!" A man laughed from the cockpit of the MT63-MK. "This MT will be your end." The MT trained its guns on the doorway. "I'd blow you up right this second if it weren't for orders to not use my Rockets. Oh well, guards will intercept you from behind in any second, and you won't be getting past this Mamluk..!"

"…We made it so far… Redeemer is right there. The HL1… it's an Anti-MT rifle, but I'd never have thought I'd actually have to fight an MT on foot…!" Adler said looking at his gun and back at Selene. "Selene… no. I can't give up…! And I can't die just yet..!"

"…destroy… generator… chain…reaction…" Selene said, covering her ears with her hands. "…The giant… it can be slain…"

"…What? Oh..! That's right. The Mamluk's got a critical weakness— if a high enough caliber weapon can hit its generator, it'll explode in seconds." Adler said, glancing out the doorway. "But, can I make that shot..?" He muttered his eyes trained on the small protruding armored block below the cockpit of the MT. The blue-tinted spotlight next to the MT's generator panned across the room- the pilot of the MT was watching for him to make a move. "It's a fairly big target, but if that pilot gets a chance to shoot at me, I'm a dead man… oh well, it's do or die..!" He said, rolling into a firing position and immediately firing his massive rifle. The MT's guns began to wind up as Adler entered a position to be shot- but the round from Adler's weapon connected first- a single hole in the generator. The .95 caliber round exploded, destroying the machine, immediately stopping the weapons of the Mamluk, and causing the whole MT stutter and shake. Seconds later, a wave of flame engulfed the center of the hangar as the MT exploded violently- its ammo detonating, adding to the destruction. "I… did it… the MT… it's down." Adler said, as looked up, having instinctively gotten to cover after taking the shot. The hangar hadn't taken much damage at all from the destruction of the MT, but burning wreckage dotted the immediate area. Adler immediately turned towards Selene, and motioned for her to come with him, now that the largest obstacle in their path was eliminated.

"Adler…!" Selene shouted Adler's name, and ran towards him. "…Thank you…! Let's get away from this place…!" He immediately picked her up, and took the lift positioned to his left, taking him up to the boarding catwalk. Redeemer sat silent in the end of the hall. The quadruped NEXT- their target, and their salvation: once they could get on board, they could escape from Omer's forces.

"Yeah… let's get away from here— but first, this place will burn..!" Adler said, as they reached Redeemer and started the boarding sequence. The NEXT responded immediately, opening its cockpit block. "I won't let them get away with hurting you..! I'll never forgive them for that—! Although, considering this NEXT is designed for only one pilot, it may be rough on you— I'm sorry if that bothers you." He said, climbing into the NEXT's cockpit and reaching his hand out to Selene.

"No… it'll be fine…" Selene said, as she joined Adler, and the cockpit block began to close as the NEXT powered on. "I have a fortified suit… I can handle a NEXT's movements…"

"Ah… I noticed… were they planning on making you a Lynx?"

"No… they wanted me for something else…"

"What…?"

"I— I can't remember… only that I need to awaken the Storm God."

"You keep saying that… What is 'the Storm God'? Is it some kind of weapon?"

"… I think so… Noginsk… he sleeps."

"Noginsk? The Omer Arsenal?!"

"I… don't know. I just know that it's connected… I'm…" Selene shook her head and collapsed— visibly exhausted for some reason.

"…Take it easy, Selene… you've never been very strong… but I'm here for you." Adler said, as the hum of his NEXT starting up continued. The shock of Redeemer's Primal Armor activating gave away the fact that the machine was ready to go. "…Although, forgive me, but this is going to be a bit rough, so you're going to have to…"

"I…I'll be fine Adler… just concentrate on the fight in front of you." Selene said.

"Alright…!" Adler said, looking getting a grasp on his situation. "Hey, Omer bastards..! Take this!" Immediately, without hesitation, Adler armed Redeemer's assault armor- the entire hangar gone in an instant, blown away by the explosive surge of Kojima Particles.

It was then that it hit him- the base was under attack. Missiles rained down on part of the base, many of the defense units were already annihilated, and Type-Argine Normals were scrambling to try to take on the attackers. It wasn't just for Adler why the sirens were blaring, and the lack of guards was simply due to the fact that the base had to mobilize as many soldiers as possible to try to eliminate the attacking force.

"Two… NEXTs…" Selene said. "They're hostile to Omer…"

"If they're Omer's enemies, then they're not ours..!"

"…The enemy of one's enemy does not mean a friend…"

"..! Assault Armor!? Llad, they've activated a NEXT!" A woman's voice said.

"I'll take it down; cover me with missile support, Mira..!" Llad's responded.

A brilliant laser flash shot past Redeemer, torching a Mamluk that had been just out of the range of the Assault armor burst. Two NEXTs, the red-colored Repentence and the purple Rydalith flew into Adler's sight. Their weapons trained on his black and red NEXT. "That's Redeemer! It's the guy who destroyed Line Ark's Megalis…! Adler!" Miranias said. "Llad… now's our chance— he's said to be one of Omer's most dangerous Lynx!"

"…This is Lynx Adler to attacking forces…! I am not your enemy..!" Adler said, firmly. "I suppose if you're just looking for a fight, I'll gladly take you all on, but if your target is merely this Omer base, then I am on your side..!" Redeemer didn't move, save to keep the two NEXTs, which were virtually identical, in sight.

"Llad?" Miranias asked, "Is this guy serious? Is he really defecting from Omer?"

"I don't know, Mira. But if he is, we have no reason to destroy him." Llad responded.

"Look, I've got personal reasons for what I'm doing— I'll take down Omer if it's the last thing I do, but I'm not your enemy..!" Adler said, as Redeemer's Primal Armor reformed. "I'll gladly help you destroy this base- the people here have wronged me, and I was planning on destroying it myself."

"Well… Adler— if you're willing to help us..!" Llad smiled as he spoke, "I have no problem with it."

"Good— let's give these Omer bastards what they deserve..!" Adler shouted, as Redeemer took flight, its Ogoto taking aim at a light armored vehicle that was trying to leave the base. The NEXT fired, its shell landing directly on it, engulfing it and the nearby buildings in a ball of flame. "And there's more where that came from..! I'll kill every last one of you damn bastards…! You've pissed me off, and now you'll regret it..! Every single one of you!"

"…I can tell why they say he's one of the most dangerous Lynx Omer has…" Miranias said. "He's…"

"…On our side, I think." Llad responded. "Oh well, if he wants this place to burn— we've got no reason to stop him, especially considering we're getting paid to wreck this place."

"I wonder where he'll turn to after leaving Omer though…." Miranias questioned as Rydalith fired a barrage of missiles at a fleeing Type-Argine.

"Maybe he should join us at Lyons—" Llad responded, Repentence firing its guns in tandem, tearing apart the last of the base's defense facilities.

"Yeah… Him and Yashiro will get along nicely…" Miranias laughed.

Llad laughed at the thought. "Maybe so."

_Late Afternoon  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Simulator: 'Operation Ratatosk'_

"BETA have taken hall A-3..!" Luna shouted. "…Normal unit defense force down forty-six percent..! Tank-class are getting through—!"

"Conserve your ammo, Luna!" Adler responded. "They're getting more numerous…!" Redeemer turned hard, its Gatling cannon ripping up a group of Grappler-class. "Why the hell wasn't the Gear Tunnel scenario anything like this!?"

"…Mary said that was because they created projections based on the Ursragna units—"

"Even accounting for the Ursragna, the BETA are more like this— there's tens of thousands of them here!..! Mira, watch that hallway, you've got incoming..! Heavy Laser-class!"

"Heavies!?" Mira exclaimed. "What the!? Why haven't you dealt with them?!"

"I'm in the separate facility. They just keep coming..!" Adler responded, firing off Ogoto rounds down the hallway, which exploded on impact with a Destroyer-class. The hallway became engulfed in flame, and pieces of the slain BETA came flying out on all ends- bits of charred flesh and blood littered the hallway. "We need to fall back to the main facility. Once those blast doors close, we can hold them off- their bodies make excellent shields."

"Though that applies for them too. Our rounds can't get through them... and it gets difficult to keep the Tank-Class at bay if the Destroyer, Grappler, and Fort-class get clustered at the gates..!" Lunaterisa responded, loosing a Wadou round down the hall-, which impacted the body of a Fort-class, creating a massive wall of flame.

"Ahh!" Kagami yelled. "These damn Tank-class just keep coming..!" the sounds of her Gatling guns filled the air as she fired at BETA after BETA. "And there just shouldn't—!" A laser blast flew down the hall and impacted the side of Brunnhilde. "Damn!...! Those damn Laser-class!" She exclaimed, firing a volley of missiles.

"Geez…! This is just too intense..!" Adler said, "We've already wiped out over eight-thousand BETA, but there's just so many..!"

"It's your fault for getting us stuck with Ratatosk, Adler." Kagami responded. "You just had to open your damn mouth and say there wasn't enough—! Mary's going cut our meals for this..!"

"Maybe she'll cut yours— I've got a ton of COAM to spend…!" Adler laughed. Redeemer boosted into a hall, smashing several Tank-class BETA apart as it did so: the body of that, and Adler's other NEXTs was sharp- and combined with the speed at which it moved, it could easily turn the smaller BETA such as Warrior, Tank, and Laser-classes into road kill, although, impact with a Destroyer, Grappler, or Fort-class would stop it cold- although it may kill the BETA if angled right.

"That's not fair, Adler!" Kagami chided. "You're never fair..! Lucky Independent!" Brunnhilde fired up its overed-boost and mimicked the maneuver Adler had just made- using a combination of speed and the NEXT's sharp body to destroy the smaller BETA. Both NEXTs detonated Assault Armor almost in unison- clearing two separate tunnels.

"Hey, it's not my fault if Mary cuts your meals..!" Adler said, firing up Redeemer's back boosters, and slinging his NEXT backwards out of the tunnel, back into the main hall.

"Guard Mech Control Switching to A-10. Additional Normal Units en route from HQ." A computerized voice said, announcing the third time based checkpoint. Reaching the fourth would be considered successful— something that hasn't occurred yet, but Kagami smiled. At least they didn't outright fail- her ability to eat later in the day wasn't going to be forfeit.

"It… gets harder now." Lunaterisa said. "We get more Normals over time— including those 051AO80-AK 'Special Edition Normals'..! But, the BETA…!" The wall to the left of one of the tunnels began to glow- it was obvious: Laser-class were melting through the wall. More BETA were about to enter into the battlefield, prompting Lunaterisa to arm Freyja's main weapon. The wall burst open, and several laser beams poured out, incinerating one of the Solarwind Normals that was standing in the hallway. "Do that..!" She said, immediately firing Freyja's Large Grenade Cannon into the incoming BETA.

Another BETA advance tunnel opened up, right behind Rydalith. "Mira! Look out! You've got trouble..!" Adler yelled. "Move out of the way or the laser-class will roast you!"

Rydalith dodged away from the glowing area, arming its close range weapons, narrowly avoiding the barrage of lasers that followed. "Damn, Adler..! That was a surprisingly good call, considering how you were earlier today..!" Miranias said, "It was as good as one of Llad's..! You really are almost his equal..!"

"Almost? I _am_." Adler laughed, "Although, considering you and him once were… I'd never be equal to him in your eyes." He said, remembering how close Llad and Mira once were. Rydalith turned and charged the enemy, flinging shots from its rifle and laser weapon down into the newly formed tunnel, killing several BETA with ease.

Adler turned away from the new tunnels, and continued to focus on the enemy in front of him, only tapping the triggers to conserve ammo- Redeemer had Two-thousand, two-hundred rounds of ammo in its twin machine-gun arms, and a thousand rounds for its Gatling Cannon on its shoulder, as well as forty AS missiles and twenty-four Ogoto rounds, and he had already used plenty of his ammo.

"Ahh!-!" Miranias screamed, prompting Adler to turn around, and he looked on- Rydalith was very clearly destroyed: A Fort-class BETA had extended its whip-like tentacle- and had pierced the back of Mira's AC, with a piece of the stinger protruding from the front of Rydalith. "Mira—!" Adler shouted, as his world went black once more.

"…Wait..! Adler's down again!?" Kagami exclaimed.

_Two years ago, Before the Noginsk Raid  
Omer Frontline Base_

"You Omer bastards! I'll kill you all!" Adler laughed. Redeemer shot past the enemy guard units, releasing a volley of AS missiles into the air. The missiles locked onto and subsequently destroyed a Type-Argine that had been preparing to jump into the air. The sound of Redeemer's heavy Gatling cannon filled the air as it fired- the triple-barreled cannon fired massive rounds with an absurd rate of fire, turning MTs and Normals into ash in mere seconds. The two lighter chain guns integrated into Redeemer's arms fired lighter rounds, but were far faster firing. It was a bullet storm- and nowhere was safe: from the moments, Adler had entered the vicinity of the base, it was already over— Type-Argine and Dulake Normals didn't stand a chance against a NEXT.

Of course, Adler's target was a mighty TYPE-Eclipse Mass Produced Aerial Arms Fort, which lay dormant in a hangar somewhere on the base. If that were active, Adler would have something of a fight on his hands. The Eclipse is merely a "factory model Arms Fort" but it has a reputation for putting down Lynx who get too cocky for their own good- armed with several missile batteries and a large energy cannon, it can easily devastate a NEXT. Eclipse also isn't anything if not fast for an AF: while it has nothing on the sheer speed of the infamous Autonomous AF Stigro, it is faster than the average NEXT, easily reaching speeds of two-thousand kilometers per hour. It is a very deadly foe, at least to most, of course, it, along with almost all other mass-produced Arms Forts, isn't that much of a threat to a NEXT and this is why Adler had this mission: the Eclipse at this base had proved deadly to a Torus Group transport, and Torus wanted it gone. Of course, the mission he was being paid for was nothing to Adler: he wanted to wreck the place, simply because it was Omer.

"Hahaha!" Adler laughed, switching off his weapon arms to arm the Ogoto cannon, and taking aim at the large hangar building, which he assumed housed the Eclipse. "Die, Omer bastards! DIE!" The shot rang out- the shell smashed into the hangar, setting off a massive explosion. The outer bit of the hangar shielded the Arms Fort, but it was blown away easily, revealing that, as Adler had thought, the Eclipse was indeed there. A volley of Gatling cannon fire coupled with two more Ogoto rounds quickly brought an end to the inactive Arms Fort, and Adler turned his attention back to the base, quickly mowing down a series of MTs- mostly of the Mamluk variety, but the larger, flying Hymenoptera craft had also been deployed, and were dispatched swiftly by Redeemer.

"…Slider to Sesia, come in Sesia." A male voice said, "I'm approaching the Omer fire base… there was just a large explosion present at the base… am I acting as reinforcements for anyone?"

"…Sesia to Slider, no. Your target is still the Eclipse… there may be a NEXT present based on your craft's Kojima sensors. Be ready." A woman, clearly the man's operator responded.

"Slider to Sesia. Acknowledged. I'm surprised you didn't send Victoria for this..!"

"Victoria isn't ready for taking on Arms Forts… and Double Heart is still under construction. You're doing Line Ark a huge favor by destroying that Eclipse… we really need those supplies to get through here, or Megalis will never be rebuilt."

"It's not a problem. I had my family die... my Mother, my father… my dear little sister… They all died… when Megalis was destroyed and the air purifiers were lost— it was innocent people like them who were the first to suffer and die. I have no problem taking the fight to Omer- to the ones responsible for what I had to go through, for what they had to go through!" Slider said, his black Aaliyah/03 purging its VOB and activating its standard overed boost. "I remember it like it was yesterday. My little sister coughing up blood while I held her in her final moments— the Kojima particles having destroyed her lungs… My mother, my dear mother- having forgotten my very existence: her brain being corroded by the Kojima that had gotten into her bloodstream… I was helpless. There was nothing I could do- I had been training to become a Lynx, so I had protective gear… but I couldn't do anything. I couldn't save my family..! I knew then, that I would use my training— I'd take the fight to Omer in any way I could… I'd find him… _Adler._ The man who took everything from me… and I'd make him pay for what he did- to me, to my family. To all of Line Ark."

"…I see, your reasons for fighting are personal then." Sesia responded. "…NEXT confirmed… It's attacking the base!"

"Wait… That NEXT…! The black and red quadruped, armed with a Gatling Cannon and an Ogoto…! Is that—!"

"It's Redeemer, Slider— it's your lucky day if you're looking to kill that man." Sesia responded.

"ADLER! You murdered my family! I WILL KILL YOU!" Slider yelled, his Rayleonard craft dropping out of overed boost and sliding behind a building, arming an older-model Akavit Plasma Cannon, the Sultan, which sat parallel to a RD03-Pandora radar on the NEXT's back. Firing immediately and recklessly as soon as he achieved a lock onto Redeemer and promptly missing Adler, who quick boosted out of the way, but he nailed a Mamluk, destroying it immediately.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Adler shouted back, dropping potshots from an alleyway between two burning buildings in the base. "Murdered your family?" He said, firing at the black NEXT, and he fired a set of AS missiles with the volley of Gatling cannon and machine-gun fire.

The black Aaliyah responded in kind, firing its Motorcobra machine gun in its right hand, and releasing a volley of flares. "You destroyed Megalis..! You know what you did by that, don't you!?"

"Shut down Line Ark." Adler responded, boosting straight towards Slider's NEXT, nailing a barrage of bullets into it, and preparing to use Redeemer's Assault Armor.

"Not only did you cut off power for the entire country, you shut down, specifically, the power to the _civilian _air purifiers. Megalis didn't power any of Line Ark's military facilities! It powered the air purifiers for Line Ark's people!" Slider said, lowering the Sultan plasma cannon, and arming his NEXT's blade, the 02-Dragonslayer. "Do you know what it's like to die from Kojima Poisoning, you monster?!"

"Does it matter to me?" Adler said, pulling the triggers on the two control sticks, detonating Redeemer's assault armor, which engulfed Slider's NEXT, and instantly, Adler had taken a serious upper hand. Both NEXTs were without their Primal Armor, and the blast had to have done a number on Slider's machine.

"… You have no clue, do you..? What I went through because of you! I had to watch as my little sister coughed up blood- dying in her brother's— my arms. It's your fault, Adler! She was only seven! I had to bury my mother— who gave out after my father succumbed to Kojima particles eating away at his brain, and forgetting I even existed due to the same fate befalling her..! My life has been torn apart because of you..!" Slider yelled, firing his quick-boosts to get into cover. "…The hell that my life has been- it's your fault..!"

"Say what you will…! But it was Omer who sent me on that mission." Adler said, "And I will not be brought down by some half-wit Lynx..! I will not die until I've cut Omer down." Redeemer performed a quick turn to attempt to bring Slider's NEXT back into sight.

"Half-wit Lynx?!" Slider shouted, firing at Redeemer's side. "I'm going to be the one that kills you..! I will have my revenge!"

Redeemer floated into the air, arming its Ogoto and quick boosted away from Slider's NEXT. Adler fired- the shell landing right behind Slider's NEXT. "Not going to happen, whoever the hell you are!"

Slider didn't respond, he merely fired a series of quick boosts as Redeemer hit the ground. "It's over, Adler." Slider's AC slashed at Redeemer, striking one of Redeemer's Legs, and crippling its boosters.

Adler looked around, having realized his foe had taken the upper hand- there was nothing he could do: Redeemer could hardly move, let alone fight. He looked on as the NEXT walked around behind him. "Selene… I'm sorry… I guess, I won't be returning to you… I… promised you I'd be with you… but I can't. Forgive me…" He muttered, preparing himself for what seemed to be inevitable.

"Goodbye, Adler. The monster..! The monster who destroyed Line Ark- the one who killed millions on some corporate order—! The monster who took my family!" Slider said his NEXT ready to implant its blade into Redeemer's cockpit block.

Adler cringed, expecting to die. However, his death never came— he opened his eyes and checked the Rear-view. What he saw was the enemy NEXT impaled by yet another blade, the blue-colored blade, Eltanin. A black and red NEXT floated back from behind the Rayleonard, which had suffered terminal damage from the blade, its pilot incinerated. The NEXT looked incredibly imposing and was clearly heavily armed.

"It's not your time to die yet, Adler." Llad said coldly.

"Llad... is that you? What's with that NEXT…?"

"This is Arathor..!" Llad responded. "My newest NEXT. It seems things are done here… the Union is waiting to hear of another successful mission."

_Nighttime  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Medical Facilities_

"Uh… what happened..?" Adler said, holding his head. "Oww... my head hurts like hell."

"You… blacked out in the Simulator." Selene responded. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Selene..?" Adler smiled. "Yeah... I'm fine… It was probably just a headache… but I've been having memories fill my head all day- and they're crystal clear, too. It's like I was actually reliving those situations…" He said, promptly hugging Selene. "I'm glad you're with me, and not the way you were when I found you in Omer's base."

"Adler..!" Selene smiled as she spoke. "I… well…"

"Hey… I'm fine now… do you think we can go back to our rooms..?" Adler asked, releasing Selene from his embrace.

"Yeah… I'm sure of it." She said, as Adler got out of his bed. "Although, it'll be cold— it's snowing outside."

"Oh jeez. Snow. I don't like snow."

Selene laughed at Adler as he looked out the small window-, which, indeed, it was snowing outside. The two walked out of the medical ward, the doctors already haven gave Adler permission to return to his quarters once he had gotten up. As they walked along the side of the road, they both stopped and looked up. The clouds parted at a point, revealing a beautiful starry sky, with the full moon shining in the center of the break in the clouds, surrounded by a lunar halo.

"It's so beautiful…" Selene said, looking at the sight.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Adler responded. "Wait..! Do you see that..?" Adler pointed out a ball of white light- not a star, not an aircraft, and most certainly not a snowflake. "That's… a NEXT. Who could it be?"

The sound of a wheeled vehicle coming to a stop behind the two filled Adler's ears, causing him and Selene to promptly turn around. Colonel Mary was sitting in an open-air jeep. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but why are two Lynx just standing here out in the open after base-wide Lights out?" She asked.

"Oh, it's nothing; me and Selene were just looking at the sky…"

"Oh, so are you finally going to propose to her, Adler?" Mary asked. "Although staring at Variable Infinity isn't very romantic." She chuckled as she spoke.

"No! I'm not going to propose to Selene! She's my closest friend— she's practically my sister, dammit! Will everyone lay off on that!?" Adler exclaimed, "But… that NEXT… it's Variable Infinity? Diana Liotta's NEXT?"

"Yes. We discovered a strange structure, about one-hundred meters tall. …It's about one-hundred kilometers to our east. We've been sending Diana Liotta on scouting missions… only thing we've been able to determine is that it's… surrounded by BETA."

"A strange structure… surrounded by BETA?" Adler asked, and immediately his headache intensified, causing him to groan in pain, as memories of the Richland battle— and the massive gray monument filled his mind.

"We're planning on obliterating it with an Arms Fort Unit— it was difficult, but we've gotten a hold of a set of Sol Dios Orbit Land Crabs for that task. Of course, we'd ask that you'd deploy to aid our Arms Forts— but you're here to destroy the Kushina."

"…Does that strange structure look anything like...?"

"It does, Adler. It's almost the exact same thing that was seen in the former Richland agricultural area. However, it's significantly smaller- at one-hundred meters tall, it's only a third of what was present at the Richland battle… I've heard that this may be a BETA bas—"

"Hive. Tadashiro called it a BETA hive." Selene said, turning away from the scenery to face Colonel Mary.

"Tadashiro..? Where have I heard that name before..?" Mary asked herself.

"He's some big shot with Arisawa." Adler responded. "He acts like some kind of authority on the BETA after he got a hold of the Type-00 Takemikazuchi I found."

"That's right..! Tadashiro Takashita. He's one Arisawa's head product development managers." Mary said. "Oh well, Hive, base... it doesn't matter. No need to mince words here- the BETA control it, and it's hostile. That's all there is to it."

All three turned back towards the NEXT. However, the beautiful scenery quickly became something that appeared to be out of a horror story. Beams of light, hundreds of beams of light appeared from the horizon, all of them focusing on the NEXT. The flash of quick-boosts being fired shot out, but it wasn't enough. The brilliant ball of light that once Variable Infinity, at least Variable Infinity's Overed Boost plume, faded and something fell: Variable Infinity had taken terminal damage from the array of laser blasts.

"Were those..!? Lasers?!" Colonel Mary was awestruck and horrified. "…is that the power of the BETA?!"

"A Y01 Tellus..! Destroyed that easily by energy weapons!?" Adler exclaimed. "That… can't be!"

"..The laser class had never been there— it's been weeks since we first spotted it… but never have the Laser-class been present..!" Mary said, tears running down her face. "Diana…!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry about the Delayed Update. Got Sick. Borked my flashdrive (and lost almost all of my progress on the current day... I swear, some higher power did not like what I had planned). Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming! As a note, I've noted that a couple of you have some concerns with technical descriptions, and some don't have full knowledge of what the mechs look like, etc. I'll be launching Project Ignition ACNiA soon enough.


	10. See you on the Eurofront, Day 5

_I'll See You...On The Eurofront!_

* * *

_**Day 5**__– "Fimbulvetr": Late Morning  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Briefing Room_

The Base XO stood silently next to Lieutenant Colonel Mary, both with somber looks on their faces. This was to be expected, considering they both lost a friend and a valuable asset to the company yesterday, with Diana Liotta's death. For them, and many on this base, the next days would be extremely trying. For Adler, it was almost as if the events of Richland were repeating themselves. Yet again, a Lynx had gone solo to a BETA hive, and again, was slain, and now, the winds of a battle forged in revenge were beginning to blow. Lives were going to be lost, and that's all there was to it.

"Lynx, I'm sure you're aware that Diana Liotta was killed in action yesterday." Mary's voice was surprisingly solid and calm. Of course, she had seen Lynx under her command killed before- having served the Union since they days of the Lynx War- she saw Sara Angelic, pilot of _The Blue NEXT_, killed by Joshua O'Brien's original White Glint; Wynne D. Fanchon and Roy Saaland slain by Strayed during the last days of the ORCA rebellion. Not to mention she was there when Neo Nidus went rogue- taking Torus's prototype NEXT and joining ORCA- only to reportedly die on the battlefield against the League's forces- meeting his end by the might of the Answerer. However, it was notable that her and Diana were close friends. "I'm sure you may want to take the fight to the BETA directly, however, as was seen in Richland, this is not an advisable course of action. In addition, we've confirmed movement of Omer's XAF-Kushina… Based on projections we suspect it is taking aim at this base. Company Executives believe the Kushina to be a far greater threat to the Union than the nearby BETA… um, Hive."

Adler could hardly believe the Colonel's words. "So… it's time to destroy the Kushina?!" He smirked as he mumbled. "Those Omer bastards will pay for what they did to Selene…"

"Operation: Ragnarok is the official name for this mission- we're going to eliminate both the BETA and the Kushina in the same motion. However, the Kushina is the higher priority target."

"..What? GA threw that massive force at the BETA hive in Richland and yet they couldn't accomplish anything!" Adler thought. "How are we going to possibly defeat both a Hive and a main Arms Fort!?"

"As you know, the XAF-Kushina is armed with a powerful Assault Cannon. This weapon exceeds even the Sol Dios Cannons- simply put; the XAF is the most powerful Kojima Cannon in existence. As seen with the Richland data, the BETA will attempt to shoot down anything in their range- including artillery. However, they cannot shoot down Kojima—A Kojima weapon is merely an advanced Charged Particle weapon- while it remains a physical weapon, unlike the energy cannons many Interior weapons are equipped with, the way it works makes it impossible for the BETA to stop- leading to our plan… we're going to coerce the Kushina into destroying the Hive."

"Using the—what?!"

"Instead of using our drone assets, we're going to use a surprise engagement to force the XAF to fight in the vicinity of the Hive. With the presence of Laser-class BETA, they'll have no choice but to use the XAF's Assault Cannon to destroy the hive, and eliminate the BETA—based on what we've seen, the Laser-class BETA may be able to inflict damage on the XAF. It won't be much- as the Primal Armor of the XAF is thick enough to disperse energy attacks, unlike most other Primal Armor equipped weapons, but with the strain caused by the sheer number of laser-class the XAF will begin to take significant damage, forcing the use of their ultimate weapon to destroy the BETA."

"Mary, won't they just have their NEXTs engage the Laser-class before using the Assault Cannon?" Kagami spoke up.

"We assume they'll try. That's where our Lynx come into play. We need you to engage and destroy any NEXTs deployed with the Kushina. Our outlying bases have reported several of them- notably the Rank twelve, Michael and his Shatterstone, and Aspina's Magnus Formation. We also believe that Cain's Kerberos will also be present."

"That's seven NEXTs… we only have six, and Ay Pool deploying in those conditions... it'd be suicide for her- so we only really have five." Adler muttered.

"Due to the sheer number of enemies present, this will be a joint operation with GA and BFF. Although, to be technical, it's merely BFF- the Lynx we're set to receive are independents. I'm sure everyone present is familiar with Llad and his Arathor, so I don't need to explain him. The others who will be joining us are Line Ark's Victoria- NEXT: Double Heart, her operator, Sesia; BFF-Independent Lynx Lacie- NEXT: Fang, note that her Collared Rank is Twenty-five; Arisawa-Independent Lynx William- NEXT: Revenger. Also joining for this operation, and acting as Operator for the GA forces, is another name you'll be familiar with, 'Cristoph', former pilot of Seven."

"So outside of the Lynx, what other reinforcements are we expecting?"

"Long-range fire from the Risen Spirit of Motherwill—shells will be aimed at the XAF once it is within the target zone, and the Hive area once the XAF is confirmed down. With missile bombardment and the aerial Arms Fort, we expect the BETA will not target the Motherwill's artillery. Other weapons we will deploy during this operation consist of no less than three Sol Dios Orbit Land Crabs."

"…I wonder how many Normals are getting deployed… How much more of a force is this compared to what marched on Richland…"

"Further details regarding the Operation—the first phase of the operation involves an ambush that forces the XAF to enter the hive territory by Ay Pool, and two of the Sol Dios Orbit weapons. The second phase of the plan begins as soon as NEXTs are deployed—all available Lynx are to engage the Omer NEXTs immediately- be wary of Laser-class BETA while doing so. You are _not_ permitted to engage the Laser-class, however any of the other types of BETA are to be killed if they pose a threat to your NEXT. Keep them out of range when possible- remember the Omer NEXTs and the XAF are your targets, not the BETA."

"This mission is simply… insane. We're fighting that close to a BETA hive, and it's against other humans. How stupid." Ay Pool said, "I'm sure Diana would not have gone along with this plan."

"I know you don't like it, but we don't have much of a choice, Ay Pool." Mary responded.

"Cristoph wouldn't go for this plan either—that guy needs contingency plans for everything, and won't make a move unless he's sure he'll win… I wonder what lies got told to him to get him go along with this… then again, pitting his enemies against each other and letting them duke it out and mopping up the leftovers is his favorite strategy." Adler muttered. "Come to think of it, actually, it's something he might just think up."

"The XAF will likely engage the Hive anyways; considering its understood trajectory… However we will only get that one four minute window to destroy the monster or Fort Lyons will be obliterated—we do not have the Cloud of Eden to protect this base anymore, so this really is our only chance. Now moving on, regarding the enemy NEXTs. You've all seen Shatterstone and Kerberos in your training simulations. It's unlikely that they'll be modified in anyway."

"Oh look, Kerberos, that piece of junk." Adler laughed as what he perceived to be a sub-par NEXT was displayed on a screen behind Mary and the XO. "I'll kill that 'Cain' and that will be that—even looking at that piece of trash makes me sick… that design will _NEVER_ be useful for anything."

"The new threat is Aspina's Magnus formation. To explain this group- it's five enemy NEXTs- all of them are Aspina's production model NEXT, Type-Magnus. As you should be aware, Aspina's X-Sobrero was deemed a failure due to major stability issues, however, the ultralight leg unit when combined with Omer's Type-Lahire proved incredibly useful… We do not have all of the details regarding enemy load out, but none of them should be heavily armed, as Type-Magnus has weight load issues. Two of them are confirmed to use Lethaldose Assault cannons, rendering them a special threat to the mission- they also use XMG-A030 light machine guns and 07-Moonlight energy blades. Be wary of this- while the Kushina is present, they can fire that Assault Cannon at full power every ten seconds. The other three Magnus craft… we really don't know anything about. I'm sorry, but you'll have to discern their threat levels out on the battlefield—luckily the Type-Magnus's greatest strength, its Aerial Combat prowess, I s nullified by the presence of Laser-class BETA."

"Type-Magnus. I hate those things." Adler said, "They're unstable, worthless pieces of junk."

"You hate anything Omer, Adler." Kagami said, making a silly face. "Except for Zephiris."

"Well, yeah. I hate them, and all they stand for." Adler responded. "Omer can go to hell… I'm looking forward to dropping that Arms Fort right into the BETA. They can all be eaten..!"

"Cut the chatter over there, there's still more for me to explain." Mary said harshly. "Regarding the arrival of GA forces—Llad and Victoria are to be arriving here at Lyons this evening, and will be present in the early phases of the operation, while Lacie and William will enter the battlefield with VOB units as soon as the later phases of the operation are set to begin… Cristoph will also arrive with Llad tonight."

"So we'll get to meet up with Llad. Good to hear." Adler said. "And VOB entry with BETA present, again? Isn't that what got May Greenfield killed?"

"Regarding allied NEXTs. Arathor is one you're already familiar with- nothing has changed regarding its design, and it remains as a higher-midweight NEXT, and retains its balanced load out utilizing a blade, Gatling Cannon, missile launcher and an Ogoto, as well as AS missiles. As far as Victoria goes, Double Heart is a bipedal light model NEXT specifically designed for her by Abe Marshe; entirely consisting of unique parts save for her weaponry. It's currently equipped with twin Motorcobra machine guns and a plasma cannon- and Assault Armor. William's Revenger is a special model mid-weight NEXT designed by Abe Marshe—however only the Core and Head units are specialty parts. It's equipped with a Gatling cannon and the 063ANAR Assault Rifle, as well as two Wheeling03 Missile launchers, likewise, it's equipped with Assault Armor. Lacie's Fang is a mid-weight NEXT armed with a Laser rifle and a 063ANAR and twin Saline spread missile launchers- however, she may have equipped 02-Dragonslayer laser blades as hangar weapons… Do account for your allies in determining your actions out on the battlefield- this is a large scale battle, on scale with GA's engagement against Omer in the former Sing colony previous to the ORCA uprising."

"..Everyone brings up that fight whenever there's this many troops getting deployed. Yes, it was the largest fight since the Lynx war, but… people seem to forget that _Omer won that battle,_ dammit."

"Thanks to you and Strayed, Adler, and the other Omer Lynx— you guys just outnumbered GA's forces. Strayed disabled that Great Wall, and you killed 'Warcar', if I remember right. Iakchos met his end there at the hand of Dario Empio, and, several other Lynx died in that brawl, with GA suffering severe losses throughout…" Kagami said, quickly irritating Adler.

"Do not speak of my past, Ya-shi-ro!"

"You're the one who had to mention the fact that Omer won the battle for Sing."

"And you know that you should never bring up my past..!"

"I'm saying you're the one who brought it up..!"

"Are you looking for a fight?"

"You two! Be quiet~! The briefing is not over. If you have any fights, feel free to settle it on the battlefield—the training areas are open for mock combat, but you do have to observe the fact that this is the eve of a major operation, and the official briefing is not over." Mary snapped at the two Lynx. "Work out your differences afterwards—and do work them out- we need you to work together tomorrow. Now back to the matters at hand. As I said, you will be working with Torus's Sol Dios Orbit Land Crabs. Note the capabilities of the Sol Dios Orbit are completely unlike any other Land Crab variant; the main weapons of the Sol Dios Orbit, the six Sol Dios cannons, act as autonomous drones. Obviously, being Sol Dios weapons, they are merely Kojima Cannons- however, as you should be aware, they are equipped with various functions including NEXT-level Quick Boost and an Assault Armor system. The cannons will continue to operate once released, even if their associated Land Crab is destroyed, so in an effort to protect our weaponry, protect the cannons over the actual Arms Fort. During the operation, the callsigns 'Odin', 'Thor' and 'Baldr' refer to the Sol Dios weapons. Protecting these Land Crabs is high priority- do not allow the BETA to reach them, as the Sol Dios Orbit has very minimal point defenses outside of the Sol Dios cannons, consisting only of small VLS missile launching systems- but remember, you are not to fire on the Laser-class. We suspect that Omer's NEXTs will also make the Sol Dios Orbit Land Crabs a priority target- do not allow them to engage our Arms Fort Units."

"She wasn't joking about the Sol Dios Orbit being deployed for the destruction of that Hive, but… with the Laser-class, won't the BETA just shoot down the Sol Dios cannons anyways…?"

"As we cannot allow the Sol Dios weapons to be shot down, the Land Crabs will not, under any circumstances, enter a range of Thirty-Six Kilometers of the Hive. While we are currently forbidding the direct targeting of Laser-class BETA, any lasers that do target the Sol Dios weapons are open game, having left the buffer zone around the hive; they are no longer considered an asset to the mission."

"What if the Kushina targets the Sol Dios with its Assault cannon?" Lunaterisa asked. "If they're not getting close to the hive, the Kushina may target them."

"Then engage and destroy the Kushina as planned- we will attempt to use the remaining Sol Dios Orbit weapons to destroy the hive ourselves afterward."

"So, the Kushina really is the priority target, not the inhuman BETA…" Lunaterisa muttered looking downward.

"Regarding the Kushina itself, as you are aware, the Kushina possesses a huge threat with its missile barrage capabilities and its ELX chain railguns- I do not need to go over its offense any further, however, we have discovered what may be a weakness in the Arms Fort's design." A large graphic depicting the XAF-Kushina was displayed on the screen behind Mary. Several areas turned red, signifying their importance as targets. "Similar to the Answerer, the Kushina flies using Kojima power to keep itself afloat- requiring a high output from its rectification units- if you can successfully destroy these units, at the very least, you'll permanently destroy its Primal Armor capabilities, and ground the unit, if not outright destroy it. The central Rectifiers are the primary targets- they control the massive PA field. If disabled, both the destructive PA field and the Arms Fort's Assault Cannon will be rendered useless. Without the protection from the AF's main PA field, its secondary rectifiers will try to carry the load- the ones on the head unit protect the craft from ranged damage, while the ones on the legs are there to provide movement capabilities. In the event that the Kushina cannot be completely destroyed, aim for the legs- crippling the craft will put it in the range of the BETA- in this scenario, it will be considered a victory, and all allied units are to immediately retreat from the field of battle- destroying the Hive comes second."

"What a sadistic strategy… the objective is merely to drop the XAF into the swarm…" Lunaterisa said, still clearly unhappy with the mission. "And let the BETA kill the Omer troops."

"Did Adler think of this one?" Kagami said, her arms crossed, with a sour look on her face.

"No, but I do like the sound of that plan. Omer will get what they deserve." Adler laughed.

"Shut it, Adler." Kagami responded swiftly. "This plan is just…"

"Do I have to repeat myself, Kagami, Adler?" Mary said. "Settle this on your down time after this briefing. However, I will answer your little question, no, Adler did not come up with the plan for Operation Ragnarok- the plan, to simultaneously engage the BETA and Omer, was first drafted by the Interior Head brass, and the final revisions were made after the GA deal was struck- the actual strategy was thought up by Cristoph. I know you're unhappy with it— and I will admit, it's not necessarily the best plan, but it's the only one we have- we simply cannot allow the XAF to approach Lyons- if that Arms Fort gets within effective range to fire its Assault Cannon on this base, we'll all be dead."

"Fine, Mary. I'll settle it." Adler said, "Kagami, as soon as this briefing is over..! I'll kick your ass and we'll be done with this."

"That sounds like a proper challenge-!" Lunaterisa said, her somber look turning to a smile, "This'll be fun to watch."

"…Adler will just run away the whole time." Kagami said, "It won't solve anything, and it won't be any fun to watch."

"Oh, I disagree, Kagami. I think he might just beat you." Aerilynn said with a slight chuckle.

"Ooh..! I swear it..! That coward…! He set you two up for this, didn't he?!" Kagami said, turning red.

"Settle down, Lynx, there's plenty more of this briefing to cover." Mary said. "Now, on to unit designations- we're using non-standard tactics, and operating NEXTs as a single formation, with the exception of Vero Nork, who cannot safely enter the thirty-six kilometer danger zone surrounding the hive… Adler- NEXT: Zephiris-F, Strike Vanguard One. Llad- NEXT: Arathor, Strike Vanguard Two. Kagami- NEXT: Brunnhilde, Gun Sweeper. Lunaterisa- NEXT: Freyja, Rush Guard. Victoria- NEXT: Double Heart, Gun Interceptor One. Aerilynn- NEXT: Hrist, Impact Guard. Lacie- NEXT: Fang, Gun Interceptor Two. Miranias- NEXT: Rydalith, Blast Guard One. William- NEXT: Revenger, Blast Guard Two… while she's not going to be entering the main combat area, Ay Pool- NEXT: Vero Nork, Blast Guard Three."

"Again with those roles being assigned to NEXTs… this really is Richland all over again…" Adler said.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Selene said, "I… don't want to see any of our friends die out there."

"It's the same for me… this is really seeming to be Richland again… Although, now's our chance to settle the score with Omer."

"…But first you've got to settle the score with Kagami." Aerilynn said, overhearing what Adler had just said.

"Settle down, Lynx. There is still a lot more to this briefing. Now moving on, regarding the diversionary tactics we will be employing to get the Kushina to enter the Hive area…"

_Afternoon  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Training Field_

"Kagami… It's time to settle this." Adler said, Zephiris-F slashing its moonlight blade once to signify that the match was good to start. JIVES had already been initiated- unlike Arisawa's training field, almost all of the Interior's training combat trials utilized it.

"Adler..! I won't lose to you!" She exclaimed as both NEXTs took off at high speed towards each other, flying over the trees that lined the battlefield. Brunnhilde fired a set of AS missiles at Zephiris, and started firing its twin Gatling guns, but was mere inches behind Zephiris with each shot. Zephiris opened fire with its PA-Suppression gun, swiftly shooting down the AS missiles, but Brunnhilde countered with a quick-boost, eluding the barrage of PA-destroying Kojima bullets.

"Jeez, she's fast." Adler said, taking note of the sheer speed that Brunnhilde possessed. "Zephiris is having a hard time even reaching her..! I mean, Zefi is faster, but Brunnhilde is fast..!"

"Kagami is using a Type-Sione, Adler." Selene noted, "And we haven't done any real damage—keep your eyes open and your thoughts on the fight, Adler."

"I know, Selene, it's just…!" Adler said, quickly dodging to the right, but not quick enough to evade a barrage of bullets and missiles fired from Brunnhilde, but Kagami then made a notable mistake: touching down for a moment. Adler seized this opportunity immediately, slashing at Kagami's NEXT with deft precision- a direct hit confirmed. "We nailed her..!"

"Lucky hit, coward..!" Kagami exclaimed, firing a quick boost to spin Brunnhilde around, opening up a barrage into Zephiris which had itself landed, sliding over a hill to avoid the inevitable attack and recover energy in the same motion, but Adler had reacted too late, taking Kagami's offense directly.

"Adler!" Selene exclaimed, "It may be considered small arms fire, but we still have virtually no defenses! Kagami will rip us to shreds with those Gatlings if she keeps her bead..!"

"I know, but Zefi is out of energy..!"

"I realize that, but we do the EN recovery advantage—use Zefi's Overed Boost—although she's stripped our Primal Armor!" Selene stated, her emotions driving her voice.

"Selene, are you alright?" Adler asked, finally achieving enough EN to evade the barrage of Gatling rounds and landing a direct hit on Brunnhilde's legs. "I… I've never seen you lose your cool like this…"

"Yes, although, I'm sorry, Adler. I'm not entirely focused. Ragnarok is worrying me." Selene said, closing her eyes briefly as Zephiris bounced away from Brunnhilde.

"Its got even you worried…" Adler said, using Zephiris's PA suppression gun to shoot down a barrage of missiles. "Now I'm worried."

"Of course, we're up against BETA and Omer…" Selene said as Adler spun Zephiris around to face Brunnhilde. "Time to end this."

"…Adler, think about that move-!" Selene said, looking over the array of data displayed to her. "We can only use our 07-Moonlight twice before we're out of Energy. We engage here, and we're gone, unless we score a direct hit…"

"So, what are you suggesting we do?...Ah!" Adler said, floating Zephiris up into the air to match Brunnhilde, and fired a series of quick boosts, feigning towards Kagami, but quickly away from her and forward, dashing past her at extreme speed. Once past her, Adler activated Zephiris's Overed boost and slid out of visual range of Kagami's NEXT.

"He… Ran away." Kagami muttered, looking at her Energy gauge and cutting Brunnhilde's boosters, and landing. "That's good. I'm… even with the XGN-Sione, out of Energy…"

Adler breathed heavily, turning Zephiris around. "No pursuit yet… we can recover."

"She's likely giving pursuit… keep your eyes on your radar…" Selene said. "I don't see her yet—wait, there! She's low to the ground..! To our left!"

"Found you!" Adler said, dodging away from a barrage of bullets, and closing in on Brunnhilde, which drifted, just narrowly evading the edge of Zephiris's blade, responding to Zephiris's quick turn with a quick boost, sliding amongst the trees and mountains for cover.

"I can't let you win, dammit, Adler!" Kagami yelled, "For all the times you've been so damn rude to me..!" Brunnhilde's gatling guns wound up again, a barrage of bullets flew straight into Zephiris, which took them in stride, it's own responding in kind- and in a flash, neither NEXT had any Primal Armor active- stripped away by the sheer amount of bullets fired.

"Hey, it's just my nature to be a rude, self-serving jerkass, and you're just going to have to accept that!" Adler shouted, "And I won't lose!" Zephiris fired its Quick boosts, the AOB emitting a brilliant blue flash as it Second-staged, rotating to keep Zephiris's momentum as the purple plasma of its blade slammed into Brunnhilde, sparks flying away from the red NEXT as Zephiris flew past. It wasn't a direct hit, but it was certainly more than enough to bring the match to a close.

TRIAL MATCH FINISHED  
WIN: Zephiris-F 2292/31148  
LOSE: Brunnhilde 0/41355

"I LOST?!" Kagami exclaimed. "To that coward!?"

"You may think him a coward, but you can't deny his skill, Kagami." A male voice called out, and almost immediately, the two NEXTs spun around to face another- a Black and red NEXT floating over the battlefield next to a White, Gold and Red NEXT that had a rounded, but sleek look to it.

"Llad!?" Kagami exclaimed, recognizing Llad's NEXT, Arathor. "You're here already?"

"Yep. Long time, no see, Kagami—Having fun with Adler I see." Llad responded.

"That was a brilliant match- it was amazing to watch." A female voice- the Lynx of the other NEXT said.

"Victoria." Adler said, noting the other NEXT's pilot. "How are things for you?"

"Good—well, I've got to get to the Base- Double Heart is kind of fickle, and I need the mechanics to take extra care of her—I took a laser blast from that Hive on the way here."

"You flew that close to the Hive in cruising mode? Are you crazy?"

"It wasn't that close. It looked like the BETA were a good distance from the Hive, but it didn't look like they were heading to anywhere notable." Another woman said.

"Sesia…" Adler said, recognizing Victoria's Operator. "So the BETA were on the move?"

"Yes, and that's how Victoria and Llad came under fire by the laser-class."

"How many?"

"It wasn't a whole lot of lasers. I think we were just on the edge of their targeting range—outside the 36 km danger zone." Sesia explained. "It's only a minor repair, and Llad managed to evade the rounds headed for him… I haven't seen you fight until now, Adler, save for when you killed Sli-."

"Do not say it, Sesia." Kagami said, "This jerkass will humiliate you and make you lose your meals for a week if you mention his past."

"Lose your meals for a week?" Llad asked. "What did you do, Kagami?"

"Made a bet with Luna… and Aerilynn… and Mira…"

Almost everyone present, save for Selene broke out in laughter at Kagami's misfortune.

"Even so, it was a beautiful match, Adler, Kagami." Victoria said, "I think even my father would've been impressed."

"Impressing Berlioz?" Llad said, "Now that may be going too far."

"No. I'm quite serious. Father may have only looked upon Anatolia's Raven as an equal during the Lynx war, but the actions of many Lynx impressed him- Anje's exploits with her blade, Sumika's deftness with her railcannon, and her uncanny ability to evade missiles… Joshua's ability to control speed. The way Roadie could control his NEXT without much AMS. Hell, even I impressed him at times, although it seemed like I'd never reach him, and he made that clear."

"Sounds like he was even more of a jerk than me." Adler said, "You're his adopted daughter- someone he cares about deeply—putting you down seems like…"

"No. I think I know why he did that. He may have trained me so I could use my born gifts, but I think, he didn't want me to become a Lynx. He knew the dangers… and wanted me to give up, or become outright better than even him. It was his death at the Battle of Old Peace City that made me realize that."

"Hey, Victoria, I have a question." Adler said, "Why did you join Line Ark?"

"I believe in their ideals- the League will be the end of this world. The Cradles and other measures would fail us eventually—our only way to survive is to return our path to the Stars, but first, we need to regain control of our own lives."

"But Line Ark was where Anatolia's Raven…"

"Despite what you may think, I never held any grudge against that man. He was a soldier, just doing his job. My Father thought the same—I've seen the recordings from the Battle of Old Peace City, in fact, my father actually lamented in his final moments that circumstances were the way they were. Him and Anatolia's Raven were very much alike, and so was Strayed- all people I look up to."

"Hmm… if Berlioz, _the_ Original NEXT pilot himself would be impressed by that fight…" Adler said, watching Llad, Kagami, and Victoria Overed Boost away.

"Don't let it go to your head, Adler… I don't want you to get over confident and die… I don't want us to die." Selene said. "Even Berlioz fell—one day, Strayed may meet his end too."

_Evening  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— NEXT Hangar_

"Hey Llad." Adler said, waving at the brown-haired man standing by Arathor, and swiftly turning back to help Selene climb out of Zephiris-F.

"Hey, Adler. Finally getting here? You took way longer than expected." Llad responded quickly turning to face the two Lynx. "That was a pretty impressive fight between you and Kagami. I haven't gotten a chance to see a fight like that in a long time. Nice knife-edge victory there, too."

"That's because you're usually part of them."

"Ain't that the truth."

"…you ready for tomorrow?"

"Can't say I am, it's going to be one intense battle. Ten NEXTs on our side, but Omer, they have the Kushina and Seven of theirs—not to mention the BETA. Richland was enough, but here we've got human enemies too."

"It's Omer. We'll wipe 'em out."

"You certain—I'm not doubting your skill, but it's going to be such a huge battle—you think you can handle it?"

"You know full well I hate Omer, and that I won't die until I've seen them dismantled. They used me like a pawn, and they put Selene through unspeakable things— you remember the way she was when you first met her?"

"Yeah. I also know that she's always been the way she is now- you don't have to explain… Hey, you know that Arisawa development guy? The one you gave that TSF to?"

"Tadashiro? What of him?"

"Yeah, that was his name, I think— anyways, he told me to give you something, said 'It's rightfully yours'. Probably has something to do with that TSF."

"Oh, it's not the Eight-hundred thousand COAM he owes me?"

"He did mention that- he wants to pay you in person, but he insisted that you take a look at this thing," Llad said, holding a small device- a type of computer drive, "before you fight the XAF— of course, it's obviously nothing tactical, or else he'd have made all of the Lynx look at it before tomorrow."

"Well, I suppose I'll take a look— I'm going to be going back to my room, I get the feeling I'm going to need my rest for tomorrow."

"Agree with you there. Tomorrow seems like it's going to be hell. We might be working with ten NEXTs and three Sol Dios Orbits, but who knows how things will play out— I've got to overlook some changes being made to Arathor, so I won't be turning in for a while."

"Alright Llad."

_Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Lynx Living Quarters_

"Alright, Tadashiro, I'll play your game— Let's get this thing hooked up. As far as I can tell, it's just another little recording or something like that, so I'll look at it, like you said, before Ragnarok." Adler said, connecting the drive to the small computer that sat on Adler's desk.

"Greetings, Adler. If you're actually watching this before you rush off to destroy the Kushina, I'm impressed, because I don't think you'd do anything sensible without abhorrent amounts of payment being required." Tadashiro's voice was direct. "Now, I will tell you that this information doesn't pertain to anything tactical, as times have changed, but this is black box information gathered from 'your' TSF, or rather Royal Guard Captain Yoshiomaru Hirayama's Type-00R. This is only a small excerpt from the deployments of that particular TSF, notably occurring on December 25, 2001. From what I could observe, a major battle between human forces and BETA occurred on that day- an attack, much like our march on Richland, made against a BETA hive. What makes this notable, and what will concern you, is the deployment of a Anti-Hive weapon developed by Alternative IV. As you are aware, Alternative IV is responsible for the XM3, and the only Zero-Zero unit ever completed. However from this excerpt, it could be determined that Alternative IV's objective was super weapon creation- a transmission from a member of Yoshiomaru's squadron reveals that other Alternative IV weapons may be in existence, and notably the one that may concern you is most definitely one such super weapon. I trust that you have linked this information the retinal projection of your fortified suit, as this will allow you to see and hear everything that Yoshiomaru saw and heard through his TSF on that day, most notably the then-new anti-hive weapon. As a last note before the actual recordings begin to play, I have reason to believe that this weapon is in fact, something controlled by the Zero-Zero Unit, as its deployment matches the timeframe of the Zero-Zero's existence."

"…What does a weapon from 2001 have to do with me…?" Adler muttered, "I may have found that TSF, but I don't really care what kind of weapons humans used to beat the BETA back then. We have Arms Forts and NEXTs now— the days of TSFs are long gone… of course, he did mention that there have been repeated attempts at rebuilding a Zero-Zero unit..." Adler said, pressing a switch on his the forearm of his Fortified suit, activating the connection to the retinal projection devices.

_December 25, 2001  
Sadogashima Hive_

The sky was a deep gray, like a scene out of a depiction of the end of the world. A misty steel cloud hung over the island battlefield, which lie bloody with countless BETA corpses, with wreckage of destroyed TSFs mingled in. Lasers formed a curtain of light as artillery shells rained down on the battlefield. Fires tattered the landscape as molten shrapnel rained from the heavy metal clouds.

"This is Captain Yoshiomaru to all Mirage Squadron units, fall back to point Foxtrot. We need to assist the American TSA formation in Echo unit. Those A-10s may have the firepower to crush the Tank-class, but they've got Forts incoming. Let's show them how we Japanese handle the BETA."

"…Captain, you've sure changed since your stay overseas. Have the Americans rubbed off on you?" A woman in a yellow fortified suit asked.

"Getting stationed to train with the F-35 and F-16 pilots at Luke only left me with two things, firstly, Arizona is the very definition of 'Hell on Earth'— it was Forty-Eight degrees on the first damn day. Secondly, not all of the Americans are honorless cowards, although ironically, it was a fuels specialist who got that notion hammered into me, not one of their Eishi. It wasn't a bad thing being there except for the fact that that desert state was so damn hot, I swore I was going to die. It does feel really good to be back in control of a Type-00R though. The F-35 is a great machine, but it's absolutely nothing compared to the Takemikazuchi."

"They still only deployed a handful of Eishi for this operation though… and mostly just the Marines and the A-10s and F-18s. They didn't send their F-22 Raptors in what may just be the most important battle in history. Hell, they didn't even send F-35s." The woman responded. "Although, then again, I heard the first man to test Alternative IV's previous weapon was an American."

The TSFs ran along the ground gunning down various BETA as they ran towards a point displayed on the Eishi's HUD. In the distance, large TSFs armed with massive Gatling cannons on their shoulders could be seen, fending off a large amount of BETA, mostly Tank and Grappler-class, as the corpses of the Heavy Laser class stained the ground. "Do you speak of the Kamchatka incident? That test pilot killing three thousand BETA in his first actual deployment, using that prototype long-range cannon?... Yeah, I heard that guy was American, one of the Raptor test pilots… although that particular case just goes to show you just how powerful Alternative IV's weapons are."

"Speaking of Alternative IV, remember the briefing? Isn't some kind of Autonomous Drone weapon supposed to be showing up?"

"…Yeah, Michiyo-chan. It was called 'XG-70b, Susanoo'… Callsign A-02— we've got to stay away from it..! It's reportedly highly dangerous, so only the special Task Force assigned to Alternative IV can approach it- and its main weapon is said to be as indiscriminant as a Nuke or G-Bomb."

"…Yoshiomaru-kun! You're not supposed to call me Michiyo-chan out here!"

"It doesn't matter, Michiyo. Everyone who knows us.."

"Yoshiomaru!"

"What? Are you blushing, Michiyo?" Another woman in a white, black and gray Fortified suit said. "You know you and Yoshiomaru make a great couple."

"Kumiko!" Michiyo shouted. "Don't say those things out here on the battlefield!"

"…Attention Imperial Royal Guards, this is American Marine Squadron Red Devils—part of Task Force 108, assigned to the UN Army, we overheard your transmission earlier. Coming to assist with the Fort Class? Cancel that- we do need assistance, but we've got the forts covered- our F-18F Super Hornets can handle that. Our problem stems from the new Heavy Laser class BETA that just surfaced along with the others."

"There's Heavy Laser class here after— wait, that massive wave of BETA that just wiped out the Orbital divers?"

"Affirmitive, Royal Guards."

"This is Captain Yoshiomaru to American pilots, we hear you. Now redirecting Mirage squadron to engage the Heavy Lasers."

"This is Warwolf 3, Warwolf 1, Colonel Bishop is down! His TSF just took direct fire from a Heavy Laser!" An American Eishi called out. "Razor formation is also annihilated. The Heavy Lasers are ripping the forward group apart…!"

"This is Mirage 6. I've got a bead on the Heavy Laser that just fired on the Warwolf squadron—! Eat Depleted Uranium, you bastards!" A gray Takemikazuchi fired a large round from one of its four assault cannons, impacting the red BETA in the eye, causing it to burst open in a wall of flames and blood. "Heavy laser down, but I've got a visual on several others."

"Mirage 7, support Mirage 6!" Yoshiomaru called out. "Kumiko has incoming, at least twelve Grappler-class."

"Royal Guards, we appreciate the assistance." The American commander, an Eishi piloting one of the A-10 Thunderbolt IIs said, "Our Thunderbolts can move up thanks to your arrival."

"There is no issue, Americans, just don't turn tail and run." Michiyo said in response. "Of course, from what I hear, you A-10 pilots..!"

"It's not an issue, we're the US Marines, first into the fight, and last to leave." The American commander responded. "Hey ladies, keep the pressure up on these BETA! We've got the Japanese here now! And it's them Royal Guards in their Takemikazuchis! Don't get out done, or you're all going to be running laps all day when we get back to the States!"

"Damn, this became a huge mess..! Everything seemed to be going so well until that wave of BETA appeared out of nowhere—! It's not even that four hour marker yet!" Michiyo said, her yellow and pink colored Takemikazuchi cleaving a Grappler-class BETA in two. "And we have no artillery backup! At least the majority of the BETA are headed away from our location."

A woman with long purple hair appeared on the screen, as Yoshiomaru cut through a Heavy Laser class that, for some reason had turned away from the TSFs. "Attention all forces, it's time for our new weapon to engage. We're sending the estimated killzone for the XG-70's charged particle cannon now..! Do not be within its range, or you will be killed. A-02 is entering the battlefield now- you have five minutes to get out of the killzone."

"That woman… that must be the infamous Professor Kouzuki from Alternative IV. A-02? It's time then..!" Yoshiomaru said, turning his TSF to the east to shoot at the exposed back of a Destroyer-class BETA. "The new Alternative IV weapon..." He then quickly dashed towards a Heavy Laser Class, and slashed it with his Melee Halberd, cutting its body in two in one slice only to see another fire- directly at Michiyo's Takemikazuchi.

"AAH!" Michiyo screamed, as her Takemikazuchi was engulfed in flames as the massive beam from the firing Heavy Laser cut through it.

"MICHIYO!" Yoshiomaru screamed as he watched his squadmate die in front of him. "YOU BETA BASTARDS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" He yelled, firing rounds from his Assault cannon, killing the Heavy Laser class with accurate shots to its eye. "Dammit! Michiyo!" He cried out, firing recklessly at the BETA. Shells from his cannons, however, struck dangerously close to the American forces under the UN.

A TSF flew past his vision, firing four Assault cannons at a group of BETA, "Get a hold of yourself, Royal Guard!" An American said, his F-18 pointing its Assault cannon at his Takemikazuchi. "Don't become a problem for us, or the rest of Echo unit, or we'll have to put you down, and we don't want to have to do that—I'm sure your fallen squadmate wouldn't want you to be killed like this either."

"This is Mirage Leader to American pilots…" Yoshiomaru activated a stimulant injection, "My mistake. Mirage Unit backing off- we're engaging a separate group of BETA."

"Mirage 3 to Mirage 1. A-02 is almost in position…! The heavy laser class are—!"

Yoshiomaru turned his TSF hard, taking sight of a massive object in the distance. Lasers flashed, but were redirected harmlessly away from the craft. Sheathed in thick armor, it was like a depiction of a god entering a battlefield. It was completely gray, and vaguely humanoid in its design, with a red head unit shaped as an 'X', and its legs backswept, along with a large tail. Immediately recognizable, it was something that Adler couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing, as he watched the recording, promptly pausing it. "The XAF-Kushina?! It couldn't be—! This is from 2001! There's no way mankind already had an Arms Fort, let alone a monstrosity like the XAF!" He exclaimed, resuming the recordings.

"..! That's Alternative IV's new weapon?!" Yoshiomaru exclaimed at the sight of the massive flying fortress, turning his and his TSF's eyes to the Hive, as a brilliant beam of light shot out from the XG-70, and slammed into the Hive, sending BETA flying hundreds of meters into the air on a shockwave before a massive explosion engulfed the hive.

"Ok, marines, I think we just got outdone by the Japanese." The American commander said. "I take the thing about running laps forever back. That thing may just win this war."

"Mirage 6 to Mirage 1, are my eyes playing tricks on me, or did that just happen?"

"…Michiyo, did you see it? We may finally be able to win this war…" Yoshiomaru said, looking away from the massive column of smoke and debris that was formerly the structure of a BETA hive and back at the charred remains of Mirage 2's ruined TSF. "Mirage 6, yes, that just happened…! Let's get on clean up duty. There's still plenty more targets to kill, and it's still a while before A-02 can fire that cannon again..!" Yoshiomaru said, turning his TSF towards an advancing group of BETA. "Well, Alternative IV… you've given us humanity's hammer. Let's achieve a victory…! For Michiyo's sake…! Mirage squadron! Engage the survivors at once!"

_Nighttime  
Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Lynx Living Quarters_

Adler looked around his room after the recording had terminated itself. He simply couldn't believe what he just watched. He had no doubt that it had occurred- that there was indeed some kind of super weapon deployed to Sadogashima back then, but at the same time, what he saw simply was too much. The XG-70 Susanoo it was called, yet, there was no mistaking its shape, its form, and that massive particle weapon- it was an Arms Fort, and particularly the XAF-Kushina. "If the Kushina is a relic from 2001, why the hell would Omer make it their Main Arms Fort?! We should have… no, that thing sent the beams of Heavy Laser Class away from it like they were nothing… That Charged Particle weapon… it obliterated the Hive in a single shot— yet, its white-blue coloration, there's no way it was using Kojima technology… augh! Why the hell would you show me this, Tadashiro!?" Adler exclaimed. "Dammit…!"

"Adler..!" Selene called out, knocking on Adler's door. "Are you alright..!? Can I come in?"

"…Selene?! Yeah. I'm alright—yeah, the door's not locked."

Selene walked into the room, dressed in a white gown, a slight frown on her face. "Adler… you seem… disturbed."

"It's nothing… It's just something seems wrong."

"What is it?"

"Something that Tadashiro had me observe."

"Anything involving that man gets you upset for some reason. Is that just because he's as… arrogant as you are?"

"Maybe. But this is different. I don't get why he's having me see this..!"

"See what?"

"He decoded the information from part of that…TSF's… data."

"So is it something about the BETA? Does it concern tomorrow?"

"No. Not exactly—it's something humankind used in 2001."

"So it's a human weapon that's got you on edge? It's old, so even if it were still around you, Zefi and I could take it down." Selene said, placing her hand on Adler's shoulder. "I meant it when I said you can't let your victory against Kagami go to your head, but if what Victoria said is true, you'd be up there with the Originals."

"My AMS compatibility is still near zero without you…! I'm nothing without you."

"But, you have me, so you're not… well, tell me about this thing."

"It was called the XG-70 'Susanoo'… it could destroy a Hive in as single shot with a massive weapon in its core… but it's more than that. It was an Arms Fort… the XAF!"

Selene didn't respond. Adler noted the silence and picked his head up to look at Selene. His eyes widened as he looked at her, her eyes seemed to lack any reflection… she opened her mouth slowly. "Susanoo… XG-70…? …The Storm God… I must awaken the Storm God." She quickly closed her eyes and shook her head, her blonde hair whipping around, blinding Adler in a sea of yellow. "Huh? Oh, that doesn't mean anything, Adler. Even if they had such a weapon back then, it's not like it could match up to a NEXT. And if the XAF is indeed from 2001, then that makes tomorrow slightly easier."

"Selene..!?" Adler said, "Just what's wrong with _you?_"

"Huh?" Selene said, slightly puzzled, "There's nothing wrong with me."

"You just said that line again, 'I must awaken the Storm God.' The same damn thing you said back when I found you in that lab in Aspina—and said every day for two weeks."

"I did?"

"Yes, right after I mentioned the XG-70."

"That's… strange. I don't remember saying that. I remember slightly dozing off… I'm kinda tired, Adler."

"Oh. Well… Perhaps we should get to bed. Tomorrow will be hell. Century old weapon or no." Adler said, "But we'll win. Tomorrow we crush Omer. Tomorrow, we take our vengeance!"

Selene turned and hugged Adler. "You're right… I just hope we don't lose anyone important to us… Kagami, Luna, Aeri, Llad, Mira..! They're all our friends—they mean a lot to us, don't they, Adler?"

"Yeah. I suppose, although…"

"I'm the only one in this world you care about, right..?" Selene shook her head. "I know, but, you've got other friends too. Perhaps you should care about them too."

"I'll try for your sake, Selene." Adler stood up with Selene, and both walked out of the room, and towards Selene's room. "I won't let any of them die… I won't let Omer or the BETA take anyone important to us—and I'll crush our enemies! Every last one of them!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ahem. Ragnarok cometh, what a crazy plan. Regarding F-35s- the way Capt. Isumi said it, the F-35 was already around before Alternative instead of coming out in 201X like the real JSF. Although, the F-35 was called the "Peregrine" in Alternative itself. (Perhaps F-35B, F-35C, F-35IR (Assumedly, the F-35's variants (Marines (B- VTOL (What that'd be for ML?), Navy (C-Carrier), Israeli (IR- INFRARED-FIND-THE-RAPTORS-SENSORS) would exist in Muv Luv too!) = Lightning II; F-35A = Peregrine..?) And yes, Americans in the UN, who'da thunk. LF Reviews! I love the feed back!


	11. Interlude: Halo -Zodiac-

_**Interlude: Halo –Zodiac-  
**__2021, Somewhere in Japan_

"…It's for the project, Leo." A harsh woman's voice came over the communicator. "We've got to eliminate them."

"Hunting down the remnants of the squadron that saved our world. It's not my idea of fun. I'm not the Chief, Angie." A man in an AC-0 said. "I'll carry out my mission, but don't act like this is glorious or anything- it's anything but."

"A-01's transport Helicopters will be within firing range of our weapons soon enough. Remember your target is their TSFs, avoid contact with their AC pilot- she must live through this battle. Do not kill her."

"Task Force A-01 has an AC?"

"Yes- her survival is important to the project as well. Her name is confirmed as 'Yashiro Kasumi', although that's an alias. Her real name is 'Trista Sestina', or Number Three Hundred Sixth."

"Alternative III?"

"Yes- and extremely perceptive. She was also incompatible with the Total Eclipse Plan— unable to pilot a TSF, and as a result she's unable to enter Prafka. She was acquired from the Russian military for use by Alternative IV in 2000. Her age is 34 as of now. She is confirmed as a surviving member of Operation Ouka, a pilot of the XG-70d Susanoo IV."

"So, are you going to tell the Chief that when we go through with the next phase of the plan?"

"No. He wouldn't work with us if he knew before hand." Angie said, "Her AC is the prototype mass-produced AC for use by the Japanese Military, the Type-24 Shiranui EX. Her confirmed armament is a heavy Gatling gun- it's a GAO-8 Avenger; two 120mm Strekoza Battle Rifles, and a laser-amplified blade. It does blend in with A-01's Type-04 Shiranui Seconds, but as an AC, it is much more powerful. Just remember that, as an AC, the Shiranui EX does not have jump units. Ignore this unit- do not destroy it- bringing harm to Yashiro will jeopardize our insider's position. Just eliminate a good number of their TSF units- particular target is their forward commander, Akane Suzumiya- and any of the Type-04s armed with the EML-99X Railgun. If necessary, ditch your equipment and use that weapon yourself- do note that it will force your AC into critical mode. Entering combat zone. Deploying AC. Good Luck, Number Eight."

"This is Zodiac Eight, Leo, to Corporation forces… this isn't the most glorious job we've undertaken. I know many of you would rather be finishing off the BETA, but we've got to accomplish this."

"Understood, Leo. Those Angie's words?"

"Yes."

"Targets in sight. Shoot down those F21C-Storks. but be wary of the one carrying Kasumi's AC. That woman is not our target."

Leo shook his head, looking at the approaching helicopters. The UN Special Task Force, A-01, a unit shrouded in mystery, and assigned to Yokohama base under direct authority of Professor Yuuko Kouzuki of Alternative IV. It was this very unit that had secured the destruction of Objective 1, the Kashgar Hive in 2002. A heroic, but obsolete relic, whose time had come. The plan was simple: Shoot down and kill as many of their TSF-operating pilots as possible and then disappear. Insider agents had already confirmed they only had one AC-0, despite the nigh-unlimited funding they received, which made the job of avoiding killing the Esper a relatively easy task- its obvious lack of jump units makes it an easy enough object to avoid. Zodiac was ready- the ambush was perfect.

Shots rang out in the night sky, sending the task force's TSFs to the ground. Leo activated his AC's Moonlight energy blade- its sheer power could cut down a Type-04 in a single slash, and it couldn't be parried by the obsolete Type-74 PB Melee Halberd. He knew he had the advantage here- him and the other Zodiac Units could crush the Special Task Force: he had faced Royal Guards in Takemikazuchis, Russian Espers in their new PAK-FAs, elite Americans in F-22 Raptors, and F-35 Lightning IIs— including the dreaded solid state laser equipped variant, all with their own challenges, but he had defeated them all- the AC-0 proved supreme. Even the horrors of the BETA couldn't faze the corporation pilot- having fought in hive conditions and lived. It wasn't a sense of fear, but regret that had Leo on edge as the operation began. "Zodiac… move out."

"Acknowledged Number Eight."

"To the Special Task Force, I'm sorry for what I must do. Forgive me."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yes, this is an ACV-based mini-segment. Yes, it's relevant for later, despite being an interlude.


	12. Ragnarok: Apocalyptic Destiny

_**Operation: Ragnarok  
Part 1: Apocalyptic Destiny  
**__Before Sunrise__**  
**__Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Hangar_

The atmosphere was tense- mechanics scurried to get the NEXTs ready. Everyone knew today's battle was going to be intense- far beyond anything anyone in the base had experienced directly. The Interior hadn't been involved in the Battle of Old Peace City in the Lynx War, when Omer clashed with Rayleonard, and ultimately, while Rosenthal and Omer lost their NEXTs, Rayleonard was crushed by Anatolia's Raven. When the fight between GA and Omer broke out in the former colony Sing, the Interior Union again had nothing to do with the massive battle. So for many of the Interior Union's soldiers, the mere notion of today's fight was far beyond them, and it was right on their doorstep; if the Lynx who were being sent to fight and die on this day didn't destroy the XAF-Kushina, they'd be obliterated by the Omer Main Arms Fort. This didn't even account for the fact that a BETA hive was right on their doorstep- for those that Adler, Llad, and Victoria had encountered in Arisawa's territory, the BETA were a distant threat, but here, the BETA were a stone's throw away, and have shown themselves.

The tremendous roar of the rolling Land Crab Arms Forts filled the air. The Land Crab was a larger Arms Fort than the Giga Base, and the Sol Dios Orbit was no exception- it was absolutely huge, and the trio of Arms Forts dominated the area outside. It'd be these three Arms Forts that'd form the defensive wall that would force the XAF into Hive territory, or force it to fire its Assault Cannon to take them down. And riding with them, the Eight NEXTs- Adler and Selene's Zephiris-F, Llad's Arathor, Miranias's Rydalith, Victoria's Double Heart, Ay Pool's Vero Nork, Kagami's Brunnhilde, Lunaterisa's Freyja, and Aerilynn's Hrist. And even then, there more NEXTs set to enter the fight, William's Revenger, and Lacie's Fang. And Cristoph had brought in even another, Krotichov and his Nevermore. A massive force- one that, the Interior, and the Lynx, hoped would be able to bring an end to the XAF-Kushina and the BETA hive.

"So it begins…" Lunaterisa sighed, "…this insane operation. Why the hell would you plan a fight against other humans in an area controlled by the BETA?"

"It's simple. The XAF is a greater threat. When you're faced with two groups of enemies in the same area, the best course of action is to pit both of them against one another, and engage the leftovers. All we know is that the XAF aims to obliterate this base- and the BETA, well they're the BETA- they just want to eat." A tall man with red hair said, a sense of confidence in his voice.

"Cristoph, you've seen Lynx killed by the BETA—why would you…"

"May's death was my mistake, I underestimated the strength of the enemy. I had nothing to do with the Richland Hive assault afterward, and, frankly, I was against it. However, this operation is based on a significantly greater wealth of information…"

"Like the XAF being an Anti-Hive Weapon from 100 years ago?" Adler said, approaching the two. "I'm serious about that. You know how I found a TSF? Well apparently it fought at the Japanese island of Sadogashima in 2001."

"Sadogashima? The area in the middle of the ocean between Japan and the former Korean peninsula where sensors go insane and gravity behaves strangely? Really? And what do you mean about the XAF being an 'Anti-Hive Weapon'?"

"XG-70 Susanoo. That's what they called it. It obliterated the Hive at Sadogashima with a single massive cannon blast."

"Ok, so it's old and powerful. That doesn't mean anything we don't already have accounted for, except for the fact that its old." Cristoph shook his head. "We know the XAF-Kushina has its strengths- and its weaknesses. Even if it's survived One-Hundred years, only to resurface in recent years, that doesn't change we already know what XAF-Kushina can do. Obliterating a Hive in a single blast is actually exactly what we're expecting, and hoping for."

"Wait, you _want_ the Omer weapon to have that kind of power?"

"Of course. If they can eliminate the BETA while exposing themselves to our offense, that's exactly what we want to occur. Remember that our object is to wipe out both."

"Hey, Adler, where'd you get that information?" Lunaterisa asked, "I suppose you've already told the guy who it matters to, but where…"

"Tadashiro. Again." Adler said. "That damn Arisawa guy, he seems to know too much about the BETA."

"I suppose so… but none of it has been useful at the moments we've gotten it." Cristoph said. "He successfully identified the BETA at Richland, but that didn't change what happened- we only found that people had fought them before. By time he discerned the abilities of the BETA, we had already accomplished the same, and more. And now, he's gotten the conclusion that the XAF is a hundred-year old weapon- that changes what exactly? Raganrok won't change- the Kushina hasn't changed, and neither have the BETA. We're set to deploy, although I won't be on the battlefield- I'm not needed to be there. I'll be here with Sesia."

"Well…"

"Adler…" Selene spoke up. "They're getting ready to load Zefi."

"Oh, I suppose that means it's time to get on board."

"Well, good luck, Adler. I'll have you covered just as much as anyone else." Cristoph said.

"I've got Selene with me as Special Operator… but thanks." Adler responded.

"Adler thanked someone, who didn't just save him from dying horribly?" Luna asked rhetorically as Adler and Selene walked away.

"…I suppose this really is Ragnarok, the end of the world." Cristoph laughed. "Llad is already on board Arathor which is loaded into Odin which will load Zephiris before departing… you might want to get on board Freyja, it's only an hour until all units are to be ready for deployment."

"Yeah, I suppose. Hey, Cristoph, are you serious about this plan?"

"Yes. You don't want to die to the XAF do you?"

"No, but the idea of intentionally utilizing the BETA to kill other people? That's a bit sadistic, don't you think?"

"Not any more than what Omer does. Have you seen what happens to a colony they want destroyed? They have a simple tendency to release Kojima contamination in the area- or destroy the power plant that powers the Colony's Air Purifiers."

"Like with Megalis?"

"Yeah. I mean that… I was there. I saw people dying in the streets- crying tears of blood as the Kojima pollution destroyed their bodies."

"You don't blame Adler?"

"No. A Lynx is merely a pawn of the company to which they're employed. Omer had it set to destroy that facility. It would've happened no matter which Lynx they sent."

"So, like Adler, you have it out for Omer?"

"In a way, but in this case, I'm merely a strategist on the Interior's payroll. I'm not completely immoral- if there was a better plan I'd have it be used. I'm not like Adler. To be honest, I hope, for the crew of the XAF's sake, that when the Rectifiers are destroyed, the Kushina explodes like the Answerer did—dying to the BETA is horrific beyond words- only thing worse is Kojima poisoning… Which I suppose, that's why every time I see Adler and Selene, I have to keep myself with a straight face- I feel bad for them. Selene has extreme Kojima poisoning- and it's the slow, but inevitably lethal variant, not like what happened in Line Ark or Sing, but one day, Selene's body will simply refuse to hold itself together anymore."

"I've heard she has Kojima poisoning, but the way she always seems, outside of a few episodes here and there, it always seems like she's perfectly fine… you sure she'll die from it?"

"From what I understand, yes, I'm sure."

"That's too sad. Poor girl."

"To be honest, I fear for that day—Selene is like a restraining bolt on Adler. I've seen how he gets without her- it's not something you want to experience. If you think he's bad now… He's a complete monster without her."

"That thought scares me. But who knows, maybe he'll change for the better before that day comes."

"Not likely. Her days are really numbered. I'd be surprised if she lives for another couple months, and Adler already knows that, but don't dare remind him."

"That little…" Lunaterisa looked down after throwing a glance at Adler and Selene. "… and he still insists that she's like his sister. Doesn't he realize?"

_Outside the Combat Zone—Arms Fort, Sol Dios Orbit: Odin_

Adler sighed; there wasn't even anything to look at. The second time that he'd been deployed as an escort for an Arms Fort- and unlike the last time, he was stuck riding inside one of its onboard hangars. The Land Crab was massive, but the small hangars it had, usually reserved for Normals, could hardly hold a NEXT. Everything was pitch dark on top of that. "Hey, how long until we actually deploy?"

"Calm down, Adler, we're not even in position." Kagami said. "For a coward, you certainly are acting…"

"Drop it, Kagami—wasn't that trial match yesterday supposed to settle things between you two?" Lunaterisa said almost immediately, swiftly interrupting her hotheaded teammate. "Hey, Adler, why don't you spend some time with your girlfriend..? She's in Zephiris with you."

"My girlfriend!?" Adler exclaimed. "LUNA! You know Selene is…"

"Like your sister…" Lunaterisa said.

"Yeah… right." Llad spoke up. "Come on, man, we all know she has to mean more than that to you."

"Geez. Both of you..!" Adler rolled his eyes. "Although, I suppose you're right about spending some time with Selene, considering I'm getting nowhere talking with the rest of you."

"Hold on..! We've got an emergency!" Cristoph's voice came over the communicator. "BETA. They're outside the mission area..! Hundreds… no thousands of them...! It's an attack or something. They're headed for our rally point."

"So it's go time, Cristoph?"

"Yes. To the NEXT pilots—this group of BETA isn't involved in the Kushina operation. Kill the Laser Class so our Sol Dios Cannons can wipe out the remnants."

"So much for spending some time talking with Selene…" Adler said, "But, hey, these things… coming out to greet us early..!"

"This is Captain Eirina of the Odin. To the NEXT pilots, we're releasing gates now. Eliminate those BETA—be wary of their Laser-class- we do not have the facilities on board to repair any major damage, so watch yourselves out there… we need all of you to deal with the Kushina's escort when they arrive."

Adler looked out into the distance as the massive door to the micro hangar containing his NEXT opened. There was no visual on the BETA. "You sure there's BETA ahead?" He asked, but as he did, a laser shot past him. "Well, that answers that."

"That was the beam of a Laser-class!?" Miranias exclaimed. "I can't even see the source of it!"

"Laser source confirmed. Target laser-class is Thirty-two kilometers ahead." Cristoph said. "It'll fire again soon. Our Long Range vertical missiles are being fired now..!"

"They're firing the LRVMs?! This early? Will there be enough for the main portion of the mission?" Miranias asked, her voice loud, and somewhat frightened.

"We have plenty of missiles. And that's not accounting for our GAME-Quasar units or the NEXTs. Go nuts, by the way, Lynx- your Ammo is easy enough to replace… we can't repair your craft, but we can, and will, reload your weapons." Eirina explained.

"Hey, this is exactly like the Anatolia mission the other day, but now we have even more firepower." Adler said, "Let's go!"

"The BETA have more firepower too! Keep on the ground, or you'll be burned to a crisp!" Lunaterisa exclaimed.

"The laser-hunt begins..!" Llad said, as Arathor took off, joining Zephiris as both NEXTs engaged their Overed Boosts, flying at extreme speeds. "One minute from the target..!"

"Adler and Llad are sure enthusiastic about this fight, aren't they..?" Miranias asked.

"Seems that way." Lunaterisa responded. "Say, has Llad spoken to you at all since he arrived. I had heard you two broke up, but was it really that bad?"

"No he hasn't..!" Miranias responded.

"Mira! Get missiles in the air and quick boost- right! NOW!" Cristoph exclaimed. "Laser exposure detected on Rydalith..! Three sources!"

Miranias responded swiftly, Rydalith dodging towards the right, as a series of lasers shot to her left, grazing her Primal Armor, and a volley of vertical missiles flew up into the air immediately afterwards, with another volley of lasers swiftly shooting them down.

"Nice dodge Miranias." Cristoph said, "We've got a fair number of viable laser sources. Amongst the three thousand or so BETA, we've calculated a total of roughly one-hundred laser-class. No Heavy Laser class detected, as of yet… Remember, we've got a schedule to keep to. Just eliminate the laser-class in this group and our Sol Dios Orbit cannons can crush the remaining BETA."

Miranias shook her head. "Thanks for the warning, Raptor."

"So Llad hasn't even said a word to you, Mira?" Lunaterisa asked, as the BETA herd came into view. "That's too sad. You two were so close—what happened, exactly?"

"Hey, Luna, cut out of it." Llad responded, his voice strikingly angry. "What happened between me and Miranias is none of your business." A massive explosion overtook the horizon as multiple grenade shells landed, sending burning pieces of BETA into the air. The flashes of Zephiris and Arathor's quick boosts illuminated the dark sky as the two NEXTs danced with the BETA's lasers.

"Now you know how I feel when everyone keeps…" Adler said, instinctively dodging away from Llad's NEXT.

"What's going on with you and Selene is completely different from what happened with me and Mira. In your case, you're being dense, Adler… Mira had her chance with me, and she blew it. That's all that's needed to be said." Llad responded, rotating Arathor, activating its blade, and cutting down a grappler class BETA.

"What do you mean, 'I'm being dense'!?" Adler exclaimed, boosting Zephiris forward, its foot skewering a charging laser-class moments before it fired, splitting it into two burning parts, as the laser ended up firing into the ground, setting fire to itself as it died.

"You don't get it, Adler?" Kagami exclaimed, Brunnhilde sliding past him, firing a barrage of Gatling fire into the BETA herd, and releasing a set of AS missiles, which took off, and homed in on a quartet of laser-class BETA, which were obstructed from view by several destroyer-class. "Just proves that you are..!"

"Confirmed… Laser-class destroyed. AS missiles seek them out right off the bat. The Laser-class have high energy bodies… Our Thermal sensors can pick them up… we're transmitting data. Laser class will be displayed red on your radar. White marks are other BETA. Don't worry too much about the majority of them. Just eliminate those Laser-class—get your anger out on these ones, you won't have the luxury of that once the fight at the Hive begins." Cristoph said.

"I'm serious though, do not mention anything about what happened between me and Miranias. We're no longer together. That's all there is to it." Llad said, following Kagami's example, firing a set of AS missiles into the group of BETA.

"Laser class destroyed. Picking only sixty left."

"Sixty!?" Aerilynn exclaimed, firing a pair of long range rounds at a Fort-class BETA in the distance.

"Yes. There's only six—make that fifty-four. Six of them eliminated… This skirmish is moving at a nice pace. We shouldn't lose much time for the ambush plan... Once the laser density has fallen below ten, we're going to use the Sol Dios cannons to finish this battle off…"

_XAF-Kushina_

"This is Micheal to Magnus formation." A man with scruffy blue hair said, looking forward as his reverse jointed NEXT stood on the top right side of the massive Arms Fort. "We'll be entering BETA-controlled territory within two hours. The XAF will enter the combat zone itself shortly afterwards- remember the objectives- eliminate as many of the laser-class BETA as possible. This Hive should not be able to produce the Heavy Laser Class, so the threat to the XAF is minimal."

"Micheal, what of the Interior Union force from Fort Lyons?" A woman with long flowing red hair asked. "Are we to engage them?"

"If they engage us, or pose a threat to the operation itself… Remember the objective here. We're not fighting the Interior in this battle- they're not the objective."

"The plan is sound, but the Interior has deployed a very large force. I think they aim to take down the Kushina."

"Let them- it's strong enough to take whatever beating they throw at it- if we lose it after the test firing, we've already won. The Kushina is only a failure of a prototype- once we've recovered the project we're unstoppable." Micheal said, "We're here to forward that cause."

"You really are something, Micheal." A man with silver hair said. "You speak of losing this battle like it would be beneficial or something."

"Cain, I'd have you know, I hate traitors—I'm not speaking of losing this battle, just the XAF itself. We can easily replace this Arms Fort with something even more powerful." Micheal laughed. "Magnus formation, you take point. Cain, tail the Magnus Formation, surprise that Interior force if they think they have the upper hand."

"Yes, sir!" The red haired woman and Cain- the silver haired man both said simultaneously. Below the XAF five blue-colored NEXTs activated their overed boosts, followed by the Rosenthal-corporate colored NEXT piloted by Cain.

"Hmm… I wonder, will the traitor and the subject be here on this battlefield like reported…?" Micheal said, "I wonder how stable the catalyst has gotten the subject…"

_Interior Union Front—Arms Fort, Sol Dios Orbit: Odin _

"We'll be arriving at the target location soon. I'd like to state you all did exceptionally well against the BETA—no major damage sustained on any of the NEXTs." Cristoph said. "But you're going to have to be a bit more careful in the next engagement. You won't have the option of destroying the Laser-class next round, and there's tons more BETA at that hive than in that last skirmish."

"That doesn't sound too promising." Ay Pool said. "My missiles helped dominate that last fight, but…"

"You won't be entering the main combat zone, you're only acting guard for the Arms Forts."

"Just going over the plan one last time. Our Sol Dios Orbit weapons will stand as an interception squad. This kind of firepower will force the Kushina to either fire immediately- destroying the Sol Dios, and exposing itself, or enter the Hive Area, along with its NEXT and Normal Force. The objective is to engage and destroy as many NEXTs as possible before it enters the area, preventing the elimination of the Laser-class BETA. We have reason to believe that the Laser-class BETA will fire primarily at the Kushina once it is in range- so once it has arrived, it should begin taking severe damage: the large number of shots and their sheer power should overwhelm the Kushina's Primal Armor capabilities. In response, we believe the XAF will fire its main weapon, the Assault Cannon. Once the Kushina has fired the Assault Cannon, all NEXTs are to engage and destroy the Kushina; remember the Kushina's weakpoints, its rectifiers: Target the ones in the craft's chest first, and then take out its legs- this should at the very least disable the Arms Fort, if not destroy it outright."

"Magnus craft have been detected." Sesia said, "The XAF is not far behind them. Two NEXTs are traveling with the XAF itself..!"

"So it's time…! Ragnarok officially is beginning." Adler said.

"What a mess of a mission." Miranias said, as Rydalith's boosters fired up. "It… brings back memories."

"Memories..?" Luna said, "You haven't been involved with anything like this before, have you?"

"Nothing on this scale, but I've fought a Main Arms Fort before…"

"You have?"

"Back when I first got started, I worked for Rosenthal."

"Wait… Now I remember, you were 'Rosenthal's Disaster'—the Lynx responsible for more friendly-fire incidents than any other. That attack on the Great Wall deployed to the Eastern Front?!"

"Yeah. If it weren't for Llad showing up to that, I'd have been killed…"

"So that's why you fell for him? Not just his skills as a Lynx, but the fact that he saved you on a suicide mission…"

"Yeah. I was having trouble even approaching the Arms Fort, and Arisawa had NSS-Cadets escorting it… He showed up, and it was over… I left Rosenthal because at that point, I knew they were trying to get me killed."

"I had no clue… by time us Valkyries had completed our training and met you two—and Adler and Selene, you two were together."

"Yeah, although that's a long story. We did deploy for the Union to attack Rovaneimi a few weeks after the battle against that Great Wall, though—and that's when we met Adler and Selene. It was strange though. I had heard Adler was a ruthless monster of a Lynx when I was working for Rosenthal, but when I met him in person after the Rovaneimi battle; it was strange, like none of the rumors I had heard were true."

"Selene really changed him?"

"I guess so. Every time I had heard of Adler, it all led back to three missions: the Destruction of Megalis the most prominent. His first victory over another NEXT at Sing afterwards, but it, strangely was his killing of a GA executive on the High-Speed Train in the Pacific rim that always stuck out."

"Why?"

"Omer had picked the targets and tactics for his previous missions. Yes, countless people hated him for carrying out the missions, but…"

"_A Lynx is merely a pawn of the company to which they're employed._" Luna responded, recalling what Cristoph had said earlier.

"From what I've heard, he chose the annihilation of the civilians involved in that incident over the option of a precision strike."

"He did?! I know Adler is said to be a monster- and I know he can be mean and even sadistic at times… and he didn't have Selene at that time, but… even that…"

"Yeah, I didn't believe it either after I met him."

"…It's true." Cristoph said, having overheard Miranias and Lunaterisa's converstion. "I was there. We were supposed to destroy a specific car on the train, because that contained only the high-priority target and several of the executives for GA. They were carrying plans for a new type of Arms Fort- and Omer didn't want it being developed, so they asked me and Adler to deploy…"

"So… the rumor of him killing over a hundred civilians just to kill one…"

"We were informed of a bridge that could be destroyed to force the train to come to a halt, allowing for a precision strike… I used Seven's Grenade Cannons to blast the bridge apart, but by time I had done so, Adler had already destroyed the train and activated an Assault Armor burst on the wreckage, ensuring that there'd be no survivors… Like I said, I fear for the day when Adler no longer has Selene… Anyways, the mission begins soon. Get ready to engage the Magnus Formation."

"The Magnus formation. Five enemy NEXTs… Three of them are using various loadouts, while two are using the Lethaldose Assault cannon." Sesia said. "Be wary of the Assault cannon duo: a direct hit by that weapon and their Moonlight Energy blades will destroy your NEXTs nearly instantly, and once the Kushina is within the mission area, it will recharge their Primal Armor almost immediately."

"Once again, this mission is a mess…" Lunaterisa said.

_Mid Morning  
"Interior Hive Area"_

"Magnus 4 is down..!" Selene said, as Zephiris's blade impaled one of the blue-colored NEXTs, which collapsed to the ground below.

"That PA-suppression gun is a god-send against these guys." Adler said. "What's the status of the battle?"

"Going well. We've had some members get in light skirmishes with BETA, and two of the Magnus formation—both of the Assault cannon bearing members are down… like we thought though, the BETA are increasing in number as this encounter is dragging on."

"…Coming from underground? How many are on the surface..?"

"Fifty-two thousand."

"That's insane."

"Watch out, we've got multiple energy spikes..!"

"Laser-class aiming at Zefi?"

"Possibly… no. They're aiming for something el…" Selene said, quickly realizing the laser-class were firing at a distant target. An alert siren went off in Zephiris's cockpit. 'CODE: 792'. "It's the XAF!"

"Attention all Interior pilots..! The Omer Main Arms Fort, XAF-Kushina is entering the battlefield..!" Sesia said. "Primal Armor is being suppressed."

"Damn, the Magnus formation is still active." Adler said.

"It's no major issue. The real problem lies in the fact that there's two enemy NEXTs with it… the fact that it's entering the battlefield means Ay Pool and the three gods were successful." Cristoph said. "Wait… that's not right… the XAF was never engaged—Vero Nork is displaying full ammo! …Did they see the ambush coming?"

"That's not good…" Adler said. "What the hell is Omer planning?"

"Who knows, but with the lasers… aiming at the XAF." Selene said.

"The skies are ours." Lunaterisa said, rising up as a volley of lasers shot towards the horizon.

"Two NEXTs closing in fast..!" Cristoph exclaimed.

"Michael and Cain..!" Sesia said. "Victoria, Llad…! Engage the newcomers..!"

"Cain!?" Adler exclaimed. "He's mine!"

"Very well, Adler. I take it you have a personal reason to go after Cain." Sesia said.

"If 'using a similar build' counts as a personal reason to fight…" Kagami replied.

"It doesn't matter, Kagami. Adler is likely the best choice to engage Cain." Cristoph said. "Kerberos is an incredibly fast NEXT- Zephiris is the best choice to engage it."

"But… he's taking it…" Aerilynn said, firing a pair of long-range rounds, impacting both into one of the Type-Magnus, which knocked it to the ground, and placing it into the swinging range of a Grappler-class BETA, which smashed into it, and then was promptly consumed by an enormous fireball as Freyja's Oigami rounds slammed into it.

"Another Magnus is down… That was Magnus…two." Luna said, as Freyja lowered its altitude, as a laser shot past it.

"Luna! Watch out..! High Speed NEXT closing in on your position!"

"…It's over, Valkyrie. Howl…! Kerberos!" A male voice said, and in an instant a brilliant red flash emanated out from behind Freyja. In an instant, a series of vermillion flashes shot out from behind the green Type-Sione.

"Ahh!" Lunaterisa screamed as her NEXT failed. It was only a moment- Freyja slammed into the ground, disabled.

"LUNAA!" Kagami cried out as her friend's NEXT slumped over.

"Luna..?!" Adler exclaimed, "Cain… defeated her that easily?..!" His eyes narrowed. "Selene… help me. I'm going to avenge her."

"Adler..!" Selene said, her eyes filling with tears. "I'll do what I can.."

"You can do a reading on him, right?"

"Yes…"

"Then tell me everything he's going to do. I'll kill him..! I'll tear him apart..! I said I wouldn't let any of our friends die here..! And out of anyone here, it'd be Cain…! I can't let that…"

"Yes. I will." Selene said, "but… I can do so much more. This battle… I'll use _it._"

"I… don't believe it. Luna…" Llad said looking at the demolished Type-Sione as a group of BETA started to approach it, as the massive XAF-Kushina loomed on the horizon.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Geez. Writer's BLOCK. More Ragnarok is coming... "And then, Freyja falls."**  
**


	13. Ragnarok: Scorcher

_**Part 2: Scorcher  
**__Mid Morning  
"Interior Hive Area"_

No one could believe their eyes. In a mere instant, Freyja, one of the eponymous Valkyrie craft was torn apart- Cain had taken it down. The first loss of the battle would be one that would impact everyone. "Luna..!" Kagami sobbed, "Why..!?... Cain..! I'll kill.. I'll… I'll kill you!"

"Kagami! Stop!" Cristoph ordered. "Do you want to end up like Luna?!"

"I can't let him…!" Kagami cried out. "I won't let him..!"

"Leave Cain be or you'll fall for their trap..!" Cristoph said, glancing over his radar screens. "The Magnus Formation and Michael will destroy you..! Cover Adler—engage the Rank 12. There's no change in the battle plan: Zephiris-F will bring down Kerberos."

"But… Luna was my friend..! I…! I can't lose her.. and…!"

"Do you think she wasn't Adler's?" Llad said, Arathor boosting into Brunnhilde's path. "Or Selene's? They'll deal with Cain—we've got to focus on the other Omer NEXTs."

"Adler only saw Selene as his friend…" Kagami said. "He even says so himself."

"Kagami…" Aerilynn said, taking aim at Michael's NEXT, Shatterstone with her long range weapons. "… Llad is right."

"I…" Kagami cried as she tried to speak, but couldn't form any words. A Omer Normal, a Type-Argine flew ahead of her. "…will have my vengeance for Luna..!" She fired a barrage of missiles at the Normal, which tore the craft, even with its Primal Armor granted to it by the presence of the XAF-Kushina to shreds: the firepower of a full salvo of her missile launchers was easily enough to destroy a Type-Argine several times over.

A series of brilliant flashes from Zephiris and Kerberos gave an alert that the two were locked in a duel to the finish. "Cain..! Not only does your inferior design insult me as a blader pilot, you've killed my friend!" Adler yelled as his NEXT's boosters flared and a volley of Kojima-corrupted bullets flew into Cain's NEXT's Primal Armor.

"He's going to try to evade left…!" Selene said, "However if we give chase, that will put us in a bad position…!"

"So he's predicting we'll read his movements?" Adler asked, still firing the PA suppression gun.

"Yes, that's why he's telegraphing his next move so clearly." Selene said, noting that Kerberos was clearly moving to give way for Cain's next quick-boost dodge. "He's clearly a skilled pilot, and his sense of strategy is nothing to be taken lightly… Adler. Don't fall for his tricks, don't rush in for this one."

"Alright… so what should we do?"

"He's trying to pull us into range of the XAF's railcannons… we need to draw him away from the XAF…"

"Away from the XAF?" Adler smirked as he looked at the battlefield. "I have an idea… Cain will have earned this."

"Yes… towards the hive."

"CAIN! You coward! I know what you're trying to do..!" Adler shouted. "Do you have any honor?"

"More so than a dreck like you could ever possibly have." The Silver-haired man said. "Omer will prove victorious today, Adler..! You'll learn the might of our Arms Fort..!"

Adler laughed cynically. "You're wrong, Cain. Today is the day I take my vengeance on you and all of Omer for what you did to Selene, for killing Lunaterisa..! For using me..! For all of it..!"

"Let's see you stop me then..!" Cain said, boosting towards Adler. "If you're not going to attack, Dreck, I will..!"

"…he's brilliant, but stupid." Selene said, "He fell for it..!"

Without thinking, Adler engaged Zephiris's Overed boost and moved towards the Hive. "Well, Cain…! You'll fight me on my terms, not yours..!" Adler said.

"Why you damnable coward!" Cain yelled engaging his own Overed boost to chase Adler.

"…_Help… me…I…it… hurts…I'm… still alive… but…"_ a transmission cracked, but Adler couldn't tell what it was from, or who it was. The only thing he knew was the enemy who he was fighting.

_Interior Union Fort Lyons Base—Command Room_

Sesia looked over at the orange-haired man who sat next to her. He had a surprised look on his face. Freyja's destruction had hit him hard, but he was doing his best to keep his composure. He was, after all, a former Lynx himself, and he knew the reality of the battlefield. Deaths like what he had seen were commonplace. "Cristoph, I know I've been an operator longer than you, but I want your opinion on something…"

"Yeah, what, Sesia?" Cristoph said, his voice solid, seemingly unfazed by Lunaterisa's appearent death.

"How possible is a rescue operation under these conditions?"

"Next to impossible."

"So… she really is going to die then." Sesia looked down. "Luna is still alive."

"She is..? Kill the feeds to her then. I don't want a repeat of what happened with May Greenfield." Cristoph said. "As you've seen, what happens when the BETA are involved is… extremely violent. Neither of us need to have to deal with that occurring again."

"You'd give up on her that quickly?"

"Like I said, a rescue operation is next to impossible."

"Alright then… but, say, hypothetically, for a moment we were going to at least try to save Lunaterisa, what would your strategy be..?" Sesia said, flipping a switch. A Monitor to Sesia's right shut off.

"Hypothetically? Well, no reason not to answer that for you then. I'd have Vero Nork and the Sol Dios Orbit unit Odin enter the battlefield. These would focus on the BETA—our biggest threats to saving her are two things: the BETA overtaking her NEXT, which would need a guard until Odin and Vero Nork are close enough—I'd recommend Kagami and her Brunnhilde for this, and Llad as a secondary. Although, I wouldn't pull Llad off fighting the enemy NEXTs right away, because that's the other major issue: the enemy NEXTs. A NEXT can be replaced, a Lynx can't- given how important all three Valkyries are to the Union, Omer would be gunning for her the moment they realize she's still alive…"

"Ok… so how'd you get her to safety."

"Freyja would be abandoned—once a temporary at the very least, buffer zone is created, I'd send a company of Normals and a GAME-Quasar unit to get her off the battlefield. We can lose the NEXT… even if it is a Type-Sione, and the main portion of such a NEXT cannot be replaced, I'd say her life is far more important."

"Yes, I agree." Sesia smiled. "How would you have our forces deal with the initial obstacles to her rescue, such as notably the Omer force and the BETA..? I'd personally order Victoria to join in the covering operation, keeping the deadly Tank-class BETA away from her."

"As far as dealing with the threats, like I said, I'd have Kagami hold off any BETA moving on her position, while the majority of the rest of the force keeps the Omer NEXTs and Normals away. I do agree on having Victoria help cover. From what we can see, Adler is already drawing Cain away from the main engagement area, so Cain attacking again is not a threat."

"So, you'd still try to preserve the mission as much as possible instead of trying simply to get her out."

"Of course, because failure here means more than just losing Lunaterisa—it means the inevitable destruction of Fort Lyons Base. I'm sorry, but a world ruled by Omer is not one I look forward to… The final threat is that of the XAF itself. It's ELX railguns pose a massive problem, especially to the rescue units- only the Arms Fort units can hold up against such weaponry… and not even they could survive for long."

"You think the XAF will be in range quick enough, assuming we start right now..?"

"No, not if we were to start immediately. The XAF moves at roughly the speed of the Eclipse, but it wouldn't be able to move directly into a position to destroy our units like that without firing the Assault cannon—which assuming they fire it at the Hive, which poses the greatest threat to the XAF's survival, would open it up to attack from our NEXTs."

"Well…Victoria. You heard the plan—keep the enemy away from Luna."

"Wait, I thought you were being hypothetical..? I told you… this is next to impossible..!"

"I'm sorry, Cristoph. We've all seen Lynx die firsthand—and we all have our ways of dealing with it. I know your tactics are sound, and the judgment that this is nearly impossible is likely correct, but point-oh-one percent of a chance of success is not zero. I can't bring myself to give up on Luna, not while there's even a remote chance that she could be saved."

"I don't want to give up on her either…! But if we even try, that poses a huge threat to our chances of success at completing this mission…!"

"I'd sooner run that risk, and I assure you, any of the rest involved would as well."

"What's the use in saving one life and losing countless others, Sesia? Trying to save Luna is only going to cost us more lives—and the chance she'd be killed anyways is extremely high. I'd rather us carry out the mission as planned, and focus on…"

"…This is Llad to Command. So Lunaterisa is still alive..? Need cover for her?"

"Sesia to Llad, yes. Focus on keeping Michael and the Magnus squadron at a distance. Work with Mira. I know there's some issues with that for you, but in the sake of the mission, please put personal issues aside for the time being."

"Understood. It's not that I hate her or anything, Sesia."

"This is Vero Nork… commencing operation, moving to support Lunaterisa."

"Captain Eirina to command. We're releasing the Orbit cannons, and moving in. It'll be only twenty-six minutes until Odin is in the battlefield. We'll get that Lynx to safety..! You can count on us."

"Is my point made, Cristoph? There's not a single member of this operation who'd want to willingly let Lunaterisa die out there." Sesia said, flipping another switch, reactivating the monitor- the audio/visual feed to Lunaterisa. "The only ones on the battlefield that didn't get that message were Adler and Selene, but I would believe that that is for the best… however, I'm picking up something strange from their NEXT."

Cristoph shook his head in disbelief. "I can't argue with that… you're cunning—I'll certainly give you that—you are Berlioz's actual daughter... But what did you mean something is strange about Adler and Selene's NEXT?"

"Response from the NEXT's AMS is displaying Two-hundred-thirty percent activity… way beyond what should be humanly possible. There's also evidence of Amazigh-type radiation being emitted."

"There's two Lynx in that NEXT—Zephiris is configured for two pilots, and Tadashiro is reported to have given them new parts. We already can tell that it's got Five hundred twenty five FRS memory—I think that may have something to do with it, and the Kushina's massive amount of Kojima output is likely to blame for the ATR."

"That makes sense, but apparently the same thing happened back at Richland… supposedly, the NEXT stopped, and then went insane—supposedly Selene started piloting it, and Adler was knocked unconscious by AMS feedback. When Victoria arrived and I started getting the data for the battle, it had already stabilized."

"I heard about that—Maria summers said that Zephiris started using third-staging… killed over a thousand four hundred BETA in less than five minutes, despite significant damage taken during the battle."

"I don't know how true that was, but there was something definitely wrong with that NEXT when we arrived… actually, come to think of it, it reminded me of CUBE."

"The Lynx who destroyed White Glint?"

"Yes—He supposedly was a cyborg created by Omer and Aspina's scientists specifically for weapons development. Due to the threat of another one being created I had to study CUBE's movements, especially during Plan-D for hours on end. We couldn't risk Victoria meeting the same fate as White Glint."

"And Selene… reminded you of his movements?"

"Fragile may have been a failed prototype of a NEXT, but it was extremely fast and had erratic movements—the Type-Lahire is similarly fast, but its movements were fluid. What I saw was… erratic. It was like something from a nightmare, and it seemed as if, much like what I saw when I was watching Fragile's Plan-D, that it had limitless energy."

"Are you thinking that it could happen here? …If Zephiris is capable of performing like that, wouldn't you think that would be a good thing?"

"No, there's something… inhuman about what occurred."

"Why does it matter?"

"I'm sorry, Cristoph, but some of us have souls, we're not emotionless. You think only about the mission- what will bring your side success, nothing else. You claim to have morals, but you'd turn a blind eye to one of the Lynx under your guidance dying- you'd willing use an inhuman creation's power, knowing full well that one day it may be wielded against you. A Lynx isn't a weapon- you can't wield it. CUBE had his own thoughts and feelings. Call me wicked, but I'm more terrified of him than any other Lynx, because, while he thought and could feel, he was still mostly a machine- and think, some Lynx turn on their sponsor companies- like Adler or Mira for example… people are fickle creatures… a NEXT is already extremely powerful. If beings like CUBE are out there, and can force a NEXT to do things like what happened at Line Ark that day, or heaven forbid it, what happened with Zephiris at Richland, I'd… have them destroyed."

"…What if it were Selene who caused Zephiris to behave the way it did? Would you have her killed?"

"…Yes. I wouldn't risk a living weapon. I can deal with a weapon like a NEXT or an Arms Fort, because such elements, even things like the legendary Strayed could be controlled. However… she couldn't be. She may appear to be nice, but you can occasionally tell- she's trained as a Lynx, and is a cold-blooded killer, like the rest, even Victoria and I."

"Even though that'd unleash a psychotic man like Adler? Someone who'd willingly kill millions simply to vent his anger? Remember that it was him who struck down Megalis. I do believe he also killed Slider, who was under your command, was he not, Sesia? Think about what your actions if you'd willingly kill Selene."

"Adler can be dealt with- he's only human. A being like what CUBE was is not."

"And in the end, Strayed, a fully Human Lynx, destroyed CUBE."

"I suppose you have a point."

"And to you, the same. And, to that, I propose another question: what if someone like Strayed was to lose it, and randomly kill hundreds of millions people. What would you do then?"

"I'd have him killed."

"Really? How?"

"I'd… petition the league. Send Collared's top lynx and ambush him somewhere. And from what I know Sumika wouldn't ally herself with him anymore at that point, so perhaps she'll help take him down."

"What occurs when that plan fails?"

"It wouldn't."

"How are you so certain?"

"Strayed is only human."

"So you believe his humanity keeps him in check."

"Exactly. With a living weapon, how do you know it won't turn on us?"

"I don't, but that leads to the question of why would Omer make CUBE even remotely human? I've seen him when he was alive. If it weren't for Aspina outright telling people he was a cyborg, no one would've known he was anything but human."

"Then Plan-D happened…"

"Just because he can make a NEXT perform a few flashy tricks didn't make him all powerful, and it didn't save him against Strayed. If you're looking to make the point that machines don't have morals, I lead back to the original question… What of Selene? Can you honestly bring yourself to kill her, considering how she acts? Would you really kill a girl like her?"

"Well… damn, Cristoph, I just can't answer you. I wouldn't necessarily want to kill her- I wouldn't get any satisfaction knowing I'd harmed, no, killed someone like her, but I remain: I wouldn't be able to allow a dangerous being like that to live… it's quite the dilemma."

"Heh. You fooled me into getting us into a deeper mess. I had to get you back, somehow."

"Well, now the entire mission has changed—our objective is, at this moment the safe return of Lunaterisa."

"_Interior Hive Area"—Outer area_

"_Luna is still Alive?!"_ Kagami exclaimed, tears rolling down her eyes. "…Well… if she needs help, I'll be glad to protect her..!"

"Yes, Luna is still alive, but if those BETA reach Freyja or the Omer NEXTs do, she won't be for long." Cristoph said, "Like it was explained, you're the best choice for her direct guard- keep the BETA, especially the Tank-class, away from her—they're approaching. A vanguard of Destroyer-class BETA are moving in her direction at full speed: One-hundred-seventy kilometers an hour. That vanguard seems to be followed by a significant number of tank, grappler, laser and fort-class- but even the Destroyer-class are absolutely lethal to Luna right now. Freyja can survive an impact with them, but likely at the very least, it'll be trampled apart. You've got to use everything you've got."

"Luna…! You can count on me. I'll promise you, I won't let the BETA reach you..!"

"Kagami, remember the overall mission though. Don't engage the laser-class unless it's necessary."

"I won't, but I won't let them harm Lunaterisa..!"

"…Not good. The remaining two Magnus craft are closing in on our location…!" Aerilynn said. "Taking aim at the one armed with twin laser rifles."

"Gotcha, Aeri..!" Llad said, "…Mira, get ready with Rydalith's missiles."

"…Right, Llad!" Miranias responded, rotating Rydalith to target the incoming blue-colored NEXTs.

"If they want to stop us from saving the life of our friend, they've got another thing coming!" Llad said, arming Arathor's missile launcher.

"Vero Nork entering the hive area. Commencing supporting fire against incoming BETA on Lunaterisa's position." Ay Pool said, dropping Vero Nork out of Overed Boost and immediately arming the Aurora AS missile launcher arms her craft is equipped with. "When it comes to supporting allies, it's what I do best- and Lunaterisa is an asset to not only just the Interior Union, but to all of us: both as a soldier and as a friend."

"Ain't that the truth?" Llad responded. "Even if this would cause issues for the mission, I would've done everything I could to save her anyways the moment I heard she was alive."

"I agree, Llad. I can't just leave her—not after hearing her crying for help- not after knowing she's alive." Victoria said, "I don't really know how she is, but from what I have seen and heard of her, she's a good person- I don't want to have a repeat of May Greenfield. Or Tsuki."

"Everyone… let's save Luna!" Kagami said, "You hear this, Luna? We're going to get you home—don't worry. We're going to help you..! Just you wait… it's only about twenty minutes until our Sol Dios Orbit will get you out of there..! And we'll take down that XAF too!"

"Hey, Kagami, don't tell Adler she's alive..!" Cristoph said. "We're going to use his anger to our advantage. When Adler is angry at something or someone he becomes like an unstoppable monster, and you know that. Let him think she's dead, and he'll kill Cain…!"

"Alright, Cristoph." Kagami responded, "But I will tell him this..!" she continued. "Hey, Adler..! We've got company over here with the Magnus Formation, the XAF and the BETA! Hurry up and kill that bastard..! Don't let him get away with what he did to Luna—don't run away from him!"

"Ya-shi-ro!" Adler responded. " . NOW… I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT…!"

"Now, Adler." Selene said, her voice still filled with an uncharacteristic anger. "Turn and engage…! We're well out of the range of the XAF, although, we have company."

"Company?" Adler asked.

"It's Shatterstone." Selene said . "Michael is following. We may have an issue trying to engage both enemy NEXTs at once."

"Damn… this isn't good. Not only do we have to worry about Cain and his Kerberos, but Michael and Shatterstone, too?!"

"He hasn't fired on us yet, despite locking on to Zephiris several times… I can't get a reading on him either…"

"You can't read Michael!?"

"No… I see white… he's blocked me somehow…"

"There's something that can interfere with ESP?"

"Heh… traitor. It is you." Michael said. "Of course—with every Lynx being an Esper to some degree, it's necessary to protect the minds of certain people… of course, the device necessary to block the subject is highly expensive… so only a select few were given… You, Me, and those involved with the project…"

"Subject!? The Project?"

"Heh. Something a traitor like you need not concern himself with."

"…Wait, are you talking about what the hell you Omer bastards did to Selene!? Why I found her comatose and in pain when I got assigned to that laboratory in Aspina!?"

"Dense, pitiful fool. Oh well… Hmm… Cain—your opponent is none other than Adler Vermil and Selene Sestina."

"The Rovaneimi traitor!? The man who murdered my Squad—the one who killed Lena!?" Cain exclaimed.

"That gives you quite the reason to fight, doesn't it?"

"…ADLER! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Cain yelled, boosting towards Zephiris at full speed.

"…Cain, you pompous fool. Your opponent isn't Adler, it's the Subject…" Michael said, a smirk on his face.

"…If you're talking about Selene, stop calling her 'the Subject'!" Adler exclaimed, firing Zephiris's boosters, evading a slash from Kerberos. He then boosted forwards towards Cain. "…Now I remember, Cain-! You're Cain Greywood from the Omer special operations group Hellhound..! You must be the last one!"

"You still remember me then…!"

"Oh, I remember. I also know you were involved with taking my Selene… and causing her to suffer for years..! I'm going to end you!"

"…Not before I do, Adler..! You betrayed us, and murdered my friends—you hunted down Ray, Abel, and the rest of the Hounds—the very people you cared about- or at least claimed to. You even killed Lena! That woman had nothing to do with-!"

"…I may have, Cain, but I'm not done dismantling Omer! I've only just begun!" Adler said, slashing at Kerberos, which dodged and fired a blade charge itself, but lacked the speed and distance to carry its charge, as Zephiris dodged upwards, and quickturned, facing Kerberos once more.

"Cain, fighting him like that is your undoing." Michael said. "He was a hound, after all."

"Only a hound can defeat a hound… that was our way…!" Cain said, "So I can defeat Adler, no one else… and after he killed Lena… I swore I'd see him dead."

"The last of Omer's special operations group..! Cain, your end is today!" Adler screamed as he boosted Zephiris towards Kerberos, his PA suppression gun, firing round after round, and delivering a decisive slash to Kerberos. The Moonlight Energy blade hit directly, but the force of the impact, coupled with Kerberos's defenses and a surprisingly well-timed quick boost kept Cain in the fight.

"…Michael to Storm God's Princess. Initiate Plan One-point-one-five. Target my Shatterstone and Cain's Kerberos. Forget the Magnus Formation, they're up against the majority of the Interior forces. Even if the Kushina itself was going to back them up, Llad is here… the Magnus Formation is doomed."

"Acknowledged, Michael. Initiating Plan One-point-one-five… Redirecting Kojima flow to Shatterstone and Kerberos… initializing Energy conversion protocol. Transmitting nominal regulations." A female voice said. "Sorry Magnus Formation, but we're giving priority to the power of the Hound and Michael."

"Plan One-point-one-five…?" Adler asked.

"You shall see, traitor." Michael responded. "Cain… you know what it means to fight under these conditions—use it wisely."

"Michael, you-!" Cain exclaimed "I don't need this to defeat Adler!"

"I said it earlier, your opponent isn't Adler, it's the subject-! Keep that attitude up, and you'll die. Either way the main mechanism of the XAF's Arteria facility is now channeled on these two NEXTs…! I have a Sol Dios Orbit to destroy..!" Michael laughed as Shatterstone activated its Overed-boost and jumped past Adler.

"…Dammit." Adler said attempting to strike at Michael as he left.

"..Your opponent is me, traitor! You'll die for killing our friends- for our Operator—for _my_ Lena! I don't need to have the unlimited power of an Arteria! I can kill you without it..! I'm the last of the Hell Hounds and I'll see you fall!"

"Let's see about that, Cain!"

"He's going to use a feint and close in… he'll utilize the full effect of the XAF's projection… he's got a virtually unlimited energy supply- his NEXT can quick-boost infinitely." Selene said. "Move to allow him to close and he'll attempt to capitalize on that moment. Don't allow him to, reverse quick boost as he's closing. Finish him with a decisive blow afterwards… we can't play around with him."

"He's got an unlimited amount of energy with the XAF acting as an Arteria…" Adler said, somewhat worried. "I've known it was possible to redirect an Arteria facility to power a NEXT… but for them to actually do so, and of all things, it being an Arms Fort that has the Energy transmission device… of course, if the Kushina is an Arteria… that explains a lot about it."

"But he's holding back for some reason." Selene said.

"Why would he do that!?"

"He wants to defeat you directly…"

"For killing Lena I suppose…"

"Yes. While it's sad and twisted, killing her is working in our favor… his desire to overcome you, both as a Hound and as the one who killed the woman he was in love with… it clouds his judgment."

"What a fool. Use every advantage given to you to its maximum extent—that's the only way to survive as a Lynx."

"…For some though, Pride matters."

"…who needs pride!? The only point to being a Lynx is what it always has been… power."

"…Adler… here he comes. Close in, but don't attack..! Wait for his movement, dodge and counter."

Cain smirked as he saw Zephiris closing. "It's over, Adler..! Today I have my revenge. Lena was my one joy in this world… and you took her from me! You turned on us…! You killed Lena—shot down her defenseless aircraft and set off an Assault Armor right next to her as she was falling, and Ray, you shot his NEXT to pieces from behind- he never knew you had turned… then hunted Abel down, and killed him before he even could activate his NEXT… today… now..! I kill you, and restore honor to the Omer special operations group… and then I finish off the Valkyries…!"

Michael closed his eyes and smirked, "No, Cain. You're a dead man. We shall finally see just what the project is capable of, what it can do… and then the Princess will purge this battlefield."

"Just what the hell do you mean, Michael!?"

"Oh, you will learn soon enough, Cain… that energy, the subject is already activated it..!"

"Activated what?!" Adler exclaimed, "And dammit! Stop calling Selene 'the subject'!"

"…You foolishly cling to the idea that she's human… heh. What a fool. You'll learn the true power of Omer Science Technology, traitor…!" Michael laughed after speaking snidely. "…Stop worrying about the words of an enemy and fight your opponent. You're up against the last of your squad here, traitor..! And oh, you've given him such a reason to fight—and with Lunaterisa's death, I believe he's given you one as well..!"

"Shut it, Michael! After I'm finished with Cain, I'm going to kill you next!"

"Oh, will you now?" Michael laughed. "You, defeat me? Not happening—maybe the subject could, but you? Never. You were never anything special. You were only brought into the fold for a specific task- and your worth has run out now. Only thing left for us is the completion of the Storm God- and its awakening. We don't need the Subject's catalyst."

"Just what the hell are you babbling about, Michael..!?"

"Nothing you really need concern yourself with. After all, what worth does the knowledge of a dead man hold!?"

"Michael! You snide bastard..! I'm going to cut you to ribbons!" Adler exclaimed. "Just you wait..!"

"ADLER! NOW YOU DIE!" Cain exclaimed, firing a series of Quick Boosts and instantly closing the gap to Zephiris.

"Adler… he's making his move." Selene said calmly, and Adler immediately responded, firing Zephiris's back boosters, which loosed a brilliant flash: a second-stage quick boost. Adler then chained left and back again, placing him out of range of Kerberos's slash.

"What!?" Cain exclaimed, "He saw that move coming?!"

"Like I said, Cain, you're a dead man. You think you're fighting Adler, yet you're really fighting the subject, and as such, you don't stand a chance." Michael said, firing a barrage of missiles into the air, which were shot down by laser-class BETA, releasing a fine mist of gaseous metal and Kojima particles. "That… should weaken the attack on the Princess… it'd be a shame if she were sacrificed too early… it's nearly time for the purging of this battlefield..!"

"What do you mean, sacrifice the princess?!" Adler said, closing in on Cain, ready to take him down. "Do you mean you've sent the XAF here to be destroyed?!"

"…perhaps. Who knows besides me and those on Omer's side?" Michael laughed snidely.

"You…!" Adler said, notably becoming angrier.

"Oh, have I angered you, traitor?"

"Michael, like I said, when I'm done with Cain, I'm going to kill you..!"

"Will you now?!" Michael laughed, "Like I said, _you_ will never defeat me."

"You're not getting the chance to fight Michael!" Cain yelled, closing for another attack. Adler dodged it, just as deftly as before, Selene predicting every one of Cain's movements. "What the hell is going on!?" Cain exclaimed.

"I'm… better than you!" Adler yelled.

"…This is impossible!" Cain exclaimed, dodging away from Adler. "There is simply no way you can be that good at predicting my movements."

"…His energy supply gives him an advantage. Unless he makes a mistake, even knowing his every move won't give us what we need to kill him…" Selene said. "Zephiris's Energy is beginning to run low… Micheal is closing in on the group protecting the Arms Fort units…"

"How are they doing..?"

"Well it seems—only one of the Magnus Craft is still operational, and the XAF ceased its movement. Although I don't understand our allies' movements… wait!? Odin is moving dangerously close..! It's entering the thirty-six kilometer range…! Ay Pool has also entered the battle!"

"What!? They'll be shot to pieces by the laser-class!"

"Odin's Orbit Cannons are released…! …Something is going on..! Are they trying to directly attack the XAF with the Sol Dios cannons!?"

"Are they changing the battle plan without telling us!?"

"Hold on… Cristoph! Sesia!? What's going on!? Why are…"

"…" Selene heard nothing respond from the two operators.

"There's no response from Command…" Selene said, her eyes gazing downwards. "…I have no clue what's going on with our allies' suspicious movements… but..! Three NEXTs detected… closing at extreme speed…!"

"Allied?"

"I think so…!"

"Then it must be William, Lacie, and Kroitchov..!"

"Yes…"

"Cain..! It's time we finished this! I've no more time to play with you..!" Adler shouted, spinning Zephiris around to face Kerberos. "I don't know what is going on with our allies, but it's time for you to die..!"

"…No, Adler, I'm going to be the one that kills _you!_" Cain responded, dodging away from a Grappler-class BETA and splattering a Tank-class with Kerberos's sheer speed, while closing on Zephiris. His blue-colored NEXT had been damaged, battered, and beaten, and soaked in blood; there was little to tell that it was one of Rosenthal's normally regal-appearing NEXTs now. And then a brilliant flash emitted from the distance- and a single sniper round slammed into the head unit of Kerberos.

"Target… direct hit. Head unit should be inoperable." A cold-sounding male voice was heard.

"Kroitchov! This is my fight..!" Adler exclaimed in response, immediately recognizing the voice of the man.

"End it then." Kroitchov responded. "Before Nevermore draws any closer to this battlefield… There is a downed ally who needs help- if you wish for her to remain alive, hurry and slay your enemy- or I will."

"A downed ally? You mean to tell me, Lunaterisa is alive!?"

"Yes, Adler."

"What!? But Cain—he!"

"Damaged her NEXT beyond repair, but did not kill her. Instead he consigned her to a much worse fate- to be eaten by the creatures that are being held off by Kagami at this current moment."

"Kroitchov…! You shouldn't have told Adler!" Cristoph shouted, "He wasn't supposed to know that Lunaterisa is still alive."

"It makes no difference if he knows or not. Either way, the result must be the same- he must kill his opponent and rejoin the main force."

"I was expecting him to rely on his rage to fuel his reason for this fight."

"How… pathetic. A warrior does not need emotions to fight."

"Not everyone is a cold killer like you or the rest of the Silent Avalanche."

"Adler is."

"Only when he's angry."

"Cain has harmed Selene in the past, and was a member of Adler's former squad. He has given Adler all the reasons he needs to fight. Knowing Lunaterisa is alive may make him more efficient."

"…Cristoph?! Is that true? Luna is alive?" Adler asked, seemingly shocked by the turn of events.

"Yes, Adler. We didn't want you to find out until you had dealt with Cain however. She's not in any real extra danger as of right now, however, the XAF and the BETA are a massive threat. We're planning on rescuing her using Normals once we've pushed back the BETA a distance, and the Sol Dios Orbit Odin is close enough to receive her… she's alive, but not in any condition to remain on this battlefield."

"So why keep it a secret?"

"Like I told Kroitchov- so you'd have a reason to destroy Cain. Now finish that fight, Adler..!"

"Hey, Cain..! I heard you didn't finish my friend off—no, you wanted the BETA to eat her!" Adler shouted, moving around a Destroyer-class BETA with ease. "You make me sick..! And I thought of something wonderful for you..! The same fate you wanted to give to Lunaterisa!"

"He can't see us any more, his Radar and most of his visual sensors are disabled with that shot made by Kroitchov."

"Good… I'm going for his boosters. I'm going to cripple Kerberos..!"

"…He…" Selene shook her head. "Attack now, the FCS is locked to his main booster, and his PA has yet to recover from our volley of fire earlier."

Zephiris boosted forward, engaging a quick-boost assisted blade charge, slamming its blade into Kerberos's backside. The white plasma from Kerberos's boosters cut out and the NEXT ceased all movement, entering CLSM. Adler fired another slash, dropping the NEXT to the ground by severing its leg.

"ADLER! You bastard-!" Cain cried out.

"I hope for your sake, the BETA are quick with you..!" Adler laughed as he watched the approaching Tank-class BETA begin to overtake Kerberos as he fired his boosters, and turning his blade on Grappler-class BETA as he left the area. "Michael is our next target..! I won't let him stop us from saving Luna!"

"… The last of the special operations squadron has fallen. Time for the next phase of the plan… Ready the main cannon." Michael said with a smirk on his face as he closed in on the Sol Dios cannons that hovered over the Arms Fortress that crept onto the battlefield.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ragnarok... it's accelerating. Hey, only one review?! Ah, well...


	14. Ragnarok: Critical Moment

**WARNING: **Still not raising that rating, hey.

* * *

_**Part 3: Critical Moment  
**__Mid Morning  
Gear Tunnel_

"Uhhh…." One of the two operators of an Ursragna yawned. "Why are we even down here right now…?"

"…All of Fort Lyon's Base's NEXTs are fighting the Omer forces today." His partner responded.

"Yeah, I get that, but… whatever…Geez it's dark out there…"

"This is where the BETA showed up before. Power hasn't been restored to the area."

"…Damn BETA. Those things give me the creeps… say do you believe the rumors about them?"

"What rumors?"

"They eat people."

"That's not a rumor. That's the truth."

"Ugh… so they proved it?"

"Collared and the League released the data from when _May Greenfield_ was killed. If you've seen the footage, you know it's no lie that BETA eat people… well, at least the red ones—the Tank-class, do. Don't know about the others… the little two-eyed buggers will just turn you into cinders. And those elephant-things, err, Warrior-class, will rip your head off…"

"The two-eyed ones… those are the Laser-class right?"

"Yeah. And those lasers are as powerful as the Procyon… although, they're nowhere near as scary as the red ones with one eye… the Heavy Lasers… those could actually destroy our Ursragna."

"Don't talk like that..!"

"…And then there's Fort-class, nearly as tough as a Quasar… Those things… the acid on their tentacles… it melts Super-carbon in a matter of seconds. They also hit with extreme force… nothing short of a huge amount of armor will save you from it."

"…shut it..!"

"It's not like there are any Heavy-laser or Fort-class down here anyways. Forts just wouldn't fit… and the Heavy-laser class has only been seen in Richland."

"But what if they actually showed up..!?"

"…We'd give 'em hell with our Kojima Cannons and then get the hell out of here."

"Sounds good enough…" As the man finished talking a deep, low rumbling sound filled the air. "...What the hell was that?!"

"It could be something like the XAF exploding."

"I hope so."

The sound continued, and started getting louder, with the ground beginning to shake rapidly.

"That's… no explosion. It can't be… damn, can't see a thing."

"Nothing is on our surface Radar… the Sonar and Seismic sensors are going nuts though."

"Enemy?"

"Can't tell."

"How many signatures?"

"…There's only one signature."

"So it's not the BETA."

"I'd assume so, but whatever it is, it's HUGE..! It could be an explosion— a very big one."

"No way…!"

"I don't know… have you seen the blast crater from the Answerer..?"

"Yeah, it's massive, but…"

"…wait a second. The source of the… it's getting closer. It's definitely something moving… holy…!"

"What?!"

"Warn Lyons! Issue a Code Nine-Nine-One! Unknown enemy approaching!... I think there's a subterranean Arms Fort down here!"

"A subterranean Arms Fort!?"

"Whatever is making that noise… it has to be huge— and it's headed this way! At least as big as Great Wall!...No it's bigger..!"

"…That big!? That's… impossible!"

"Switching primary visuals to thermal scanners…! What the..!?"

"What the hell is that!? It's filled with heat signatures..!...Are those…!?"

"BETA!? There's so many of them!"

"Starting up Primal Armor…Ready the Kojima Cannons..! We can't let that thing through! Fort Lyons doesn't have any NEXTs!"

"_Interior Hive Area"—Outer area_

Adler breathed heavily. "We have to catch up to Michael. If he reaches the Sol Dios Orbit, he'll obliterate it…"

"And that'll be the end of any chance Lunaterisa has…" Selene said in response. "Unfortunately, the fight with Kerberos put us at a disadvantage with Energy… We can't afford to stop moving for a recharge, due to the BETA in the area, and…"

"Think Llad can handle Michael…?"

"Yes… he's got support from all of our NEXTs…"

"Michael is outnumbered here… One NEXT against Eight others…"

"He… wait.. that can't be right… he's leaving the battlefield…"

"What..!?"

"That coward!" Adler exclaimed and shifted his communications channel, "Lynx Michael and his NEXT Shatterstone appear to be fleeing the combat zone..!"

"That's good— the XAF is doing the opposite!" Cristoph quickly responded, prompting Adler to quickly glance over at the XAF. The Kushina was indeed, headed into the battlefield- it was no longer content to merely sit back and play guard dog. Massive explosions ringed it as shells from BFF's Risen Spirit of Motherwill shelled it with immense precision, exploding upon its thick Primal Armor, not even scratching the mighty Arms Fort. Periodically, it shimmered white as the craft faced another onslaught- the streams of lasers from the laser-class BETA at the hive poured on to it, diluted by the smog-like green-gray clouds of Kojima and Metal gasses- created by the explosions of missiles fired from the XAF. It was truly a terrifying sight to behold: a massive force of destruction- something that could obliterate a NEXT in a matter of seconds, and the XAF was unharmed.

"The XAF is making its move..!" Adler said, in awe.

"We… have to stop it." Selene said, her voice ringing in Adler's ears.

"…Yes, it's time— we'll take our revenge on Omer today!" Adler said, reactivating Zephiris's Overed Boost, and careening towards his allies which had formed a defensive line surrounding the disabled Freyja.

The XAF floated into the battlefield, and in a matter of seconds, the BETA's frontline was obliterated- the four ELX railcannons rained destruction like none other- streams of light surrounded the rapid-fire high-explosive rounds as they traveled at immense speed towards their target- which quickly became apparent: the XAF wasn't targeting the Interior forces, instead it was obliterating the BETA.

"The Kushina is targeting the BETA over our NEXTs!?" Adler exclaimed.

"Perfect, that means they're falling for our trap." Cristoph said, a strange alerted tone in his voice, which created a dissonant sense with the words he spoke. "It's going to plan— we must assume that the laser-class BETA can damage the XAF as predicted— of course, there are hundreds of laser sources confirmed…"

"Cristoph, what the hell is going on… you sound disturbed— is something wrong?"Llad asked, quickly noticing Cristoph's change in tone.

"No. Of course, the surprising element here is that the plan is going _too well._" He said loudly, almost as if to mask something in the background. "Just focus on getting Lunaterisa out of there… she's injured, so she can't stay on this battlefield."

"This is Eirina from Sol Dios Orbit unit Odin. We've reached the critical zone. Releasing assets to rescue the downed Lynx, and activating orbit units." She said, as the doors on board the Sol Dios Orbit Land Crab dropped, allowing the GAME-Quasar units and Normals to leave the Arms Fort's storage hangars, and the six autonomous Sol Dios Cannons released from the top of the Arms Fort.

However, as the cannons floated into the air, and began their charge- automatically targeting the monstrous XAF with their mighty Kojima weapon- the Omer Arms fort spun around at high speed, strafing the BETA below with machine gun fire as it did, and placing the Odin directly in its sights.

"The XAF…!" Adler exclaimed, "It's targeting the Odin!?"

"..No!" Kagami exclaimed, realizing that if the Odin is destroyed, the rescue of her friend would become impossible. Luna's injuries making it impossible to transport her via NEXT, and making prompt medical treatment paramount to her survival. Furthermore, she realized that Freyja lie immobile in what would be the kill zone for the XAF's Assault Cannon, should it be fired to destroy the Odin, and there would be nothing she, or anyone else could do at that point, should the crew of the XAF use that moment to obliterate the Interior's Arms Fort unit.

Six brilliant green flashes emanated from the Odin's orbit cannons, one after the other- brilliant blasts of Kojima energy flew towards the XAF, and slammed into the XAF's Primal Armor, exploding with a mighty force that sent torrents of Kojima particles into the air, creating a fine green mist around the impact. Suddenly a brilliant fireball engulfed the side of the XAF- impact from shells fired from the Risen Spirit- two massive rounds struck almost directly, sending pieces of steel flying high into the air, creating a deadly rain of shrapnel, which, slaughtered the BETA below. However, the other four rounds were vaporized before they could strike the XAF- the laser-class BETA shot them down with every bit of unerring accuracy as usual.

"Target… XAF hit… the Sol Dios cannons can bring down the XAF's Primal Armor, if only temporarily." Sesia said, a worry present in her voice, similar to Cristoph's.

"Sesia!? What is wrong!?" Victoria exclaimed, "You're acting weird— explain what's going on!"

"Victoria!" Cristoph called out, "Focus on the destruction of the XAF and the rescue of Lunaterisa."

"Shut it, Cristoph." Victoria quickly responded. "I was asking my sister."

"Cristoph is right, Victoria… nothing is wrong. Just take down that Arms Fort, quickly as possible."

"Something is definitely not right here…" Llad said, firing rounds into a series of Grappler-class BETA that were moving past the strewn corpses of the numerous Destroyer-class. "Command, just what is going on?"

"It's nothing mission critical. Keep focused on destroying the XAF." Cristoph responded. "Quickly."

The XAF lined itself back up after the impact, its primal armor quickly reestablished from its powerful Kojima reactors. Massive explosions occurred on both the ground and in the air—the Risen Spirit's rounds weren't shot down as the laser-class continued their assault on Omer's Arms Fort. However, the Primal Armor protected the Arms Fort from any further damage. It was then that it opened its massive missile launchers, releasing a barrage of missiles, locking on to Zephiris as it boosted into the combat area.

"Damn, a missile storm..!" Adler yelled as he looked on—his radar filling with purple balls marking the enemy missiles that were chasing him.

"…Firing Flares, Adler!" Victoria called out, as the two YASMIN barrage flares fired towards the incoming missiles, quickly throwing them off track.

"..Thanks, Victoria..!" Adler said, quick boosting away as the missiles that were not misdirected by Victoria slammed into the ground by Zephiris.

"…The XAF is preparing a second volley." Selene said. "…It's going to fire another volley in seven seconds."

"Seven!?" Adler said, turning Zephiris to cut down a Type-Argine Normal.

"The XAF… no, it's preparing to fire the ELX..! Missiles are firing!" Selene exclaimed. "…Target for the ELX…!"

Brilliant flashes and tremendous roar cut off Selene's words as all four ELX chain rail guns opened fire, obliterating the six orbit cannons, and swept away—devastating the area around Odin.

"They only destroyed the Orbit cannons!?" Kagami exclaimed, almost with a sense of relief in her voice, as the ELX stopped firing.

"No..! They disabled the Odin's treads..!" Ay Pool called out, noticing the columns of smoke rising from the Sol Dios Orbit.

"What?! We never even saw the ELX target the…!?" Aerilynn exclaimed.

"You're not a very good sniper if you couldn't see such basic enemy movements. The cannons swept down destroying the treads of the Land Crab immediately after destroying the orbit cannons." Kroitchov said, his voice cold and monotone—his NEXT, Nevermore, purged its VOB, dropping the remains onto several of the smaller BETA, but much of the debris was vaporized by laser-class before it struck the ground.

"What?! No one saw the XAF aim at…" Miranias shouted.

"You're no sniper, _Rosenthal's Disaster._" Kroitchov responded. "One wouldn't expect you to keep up with movements like that. Just stick to missiles."

"Kroitchov, you don't have to be so blunt!" Miranias responded.

"The battlefield is no place for vain emotions." Kroitchov said, firing a sniper cannon round squarely into the frame of a Type-Argine, which exploded immediately.

"…Kroitchov, the infamous pilot from Silent Avalanche… BFF's most skilled sniper." Victoria said, "He's every bit as cold as he's said to be… and he lives up to his reputation as BFF's most feared pilot… He made a precision shot on a high speed NEXT like Kerberos while using a Vanguard Overed Boost…"

"This changes the plan to save Lunaterisa's life though…" Selene said, somberly. "With the Odin disabled in areas with BETA, it will have to be evacuated… the assets used to save Luna will have to be redirected."

"…So… saving Luna is impossible!?" Kagami cried. "…I won't allow it! I'll tear that Arms Fort to pieces! Omer will NOT kill my friend…!"

"…Don't waste ammunition on the XAF, Valkyrie." A soft, yet harsh female voice said. "Not even the 4800mm Hi-Cannons of the Risen Spirit of Motherwill are penetrating the Kushina's Primal Armor— the weapons your NEXT has won't do anything to it!"

"Just target the damn BETA!" A brash male voice called out.

"…So William— _Eagle_, you're still fighting..?!" Adler said. "I didn't think I'd have to work with _you_ again..!"

"Adler..! Don't think I've forgotten what happened only a month ago!" William sharply responded. "I'll fight for as long as I live— I'm going to kill every BETA on this damn planet!" His NEXT, the white, green and gold Revenger flew past Zephiris as it had stopped to regain energy. The NEXT had a central layout, its core and head unit, of specialized parts, similar to those of the famous White Glint, but were notably different: a fair deal more bulky. Its arms were Hogire models, and its legs that of the Tellus. On its left shoulder was a notable emblem: that of an eagle holding swords in its talons, on a white and green flag. The NEXT's weapon layout was simple, the same GA manufactured Gatling gun that Brunnhilde wielded on its right arm, and in its left hand it held a 063ANAR Assault Rifle. Equipped on its back were twin Wheeling03 missile launchers. Its sensor eyes glowed bright red, glinting past as the NEXT quickly turned and unleashed a barrage of fire on the large cluster of Tank-class that were approaching Freyja, quickly turning them into a pile of bloodied corpses.

Another NEXT flew past Zephiris shortly after Revenger did, it was gray-green colored craft, accentuated with a muted blue. It was a completely non-standard build: an Algebra-manufactured head unit, on the 063AN core, Latona Arms, and Tellus legs. It held the famous BFF laser rifle, and assault rifle, and on its back were twin MSAC manufactured Saline05 spread missile launchers. Mounted on its wrists were two hangar weapons, which Adler quickly identified as close-range laser blades; recalling the briefing he assumed that this NEXT was none other than the Rank Twenty-Five, Lacie's Fang, which in turn explained the woman who spoke earlier. "William, don't just blindly engage the BETA." Lacie said, "We're here to destroy the XAF, of course, until the Kushina uses its Assault Cannon, we can't really do anything…"

"The XAF is preparing another missile volley…" Selene said. "Get ready to evade, Adler…!"

"I understand, Selene…!"

_Noon_  
_Interior Union Fort Lyons Base—Command Room_

"So… that thing… it's BETA?" Cristoph said. "Damn. Out of all the times to not have backup plans for something like this…"

"It'd appear so, Cristoph. Sorry for the lack of information, but this is the first time anyone has ever encountered anything like this… hell, we didn't even know the BETA were out there until what? Twenty some days ago?" Colonel Mary said.

"…I don't have Seven… are there any other NEXTs here at Fort Lyons?!" Cristoph asked.

"No…" Mary shook her head. "Even if there were, we need you as an operator."

"If what we saw was correct though, that _thing_ has hundreds of thousands of BETA inside it— without NEXTs here, we have no chance against a force that size."

"...I understand the issue but all of our Lynx are deployed for Operation Ragnarok right now…"

"Then all we can do is pray that the XAF goes down, and soon— judging by the thing's speed and trajectory, we've only got two and a half hours until it arrives at Fort Lyons— and it does appear to be following the Gear Tunnel… how quickly can we evacuate this base?"

"It'd take much longer than that— assuming we aim to evacuate the base, and give the order right now, I'd guess it'd take four, maybe five hours… we'd be moving in the dark."

"That's not good…What can we do to try to slow that unknown BETA type down?"

"Aren't you the one who we hired for strategic advice?"

"Yes and coming up with a strategy is precisely what I'm trying to do here… how effective were the Ursragna weapons on it?"

"It only slowed to destroy them— their weapons didn't do much. Not their missile launchers nor Kojima Cannons. Judging by its resistance to damage… the thing has more armor than an Arms Fort."

"If I had to guess then, it's protected by a shell with a hardness of Mohs 15… which is a bit tougher than Arms Fort grade Super Carbon. Nothing a NEXT could bring down— save for point attacks using a blade or piler."

"What fuels that assessment, Cristoph?"

"We can only assume that this thing is the BETA's equivalent to the Arms Fort, judging by its sheer size and it's understood defensive capacity… we know the Destroyer-class's shells, the Grappler-class's arms, and the Fort-class's stinger are all of an unknown material that is not only extremely heavy, but extremely hard— like I said, Mohs 15. With that knowledge as a base, the 'Carrier-class' as I'll call it, is likely that strong on the outside."

"Carrier-class?"

"Just a fitting name for this unknown BETA— I suppose we could also call it Arms Fort-class… although, by time I'm back in Japan, I'm sure Tadashiro will be able to fill us in on the details on this BETA as well— of course, real combat experience would be, once again, far more beneficial than data retrieved from a century's old relic."

"Something is better than nothing."

"That's definitely true… but back to coming up with a strategy. Judging by the current battle at the Interior Hive, we can safely assume that the XAF will likely fire its assault cannon within the next hour or so— it just can't keep up with the punishment from the laser-class. If we abandon secondary objectives, such as, notably the elimination of the BETA hive, and potentially the rescue of Lynx Lunaterisa…"

"We can't abandon that. Not until she's either confirmed KIA or is home safe." Colonel Mary interrupted Cristoph, affirming her stance on saving Lunaterisa. "If you truly want to abandon her to die, you can walk away from your mission right now."

"I have a heart, Mary. I won't abandon Lunaterisa until the last second now that her rescue is on the table."

"Good to hear, but cut any notion of letting her die 'for the sake of the mission'. We're not as barbaric as we once were— you realize just how important that Lynx is to the Union, correct?"

Cristoph shook his head, "Now back to what I was saying… if we retreat _immediately_ following the destruction of the XAF, we should be able to get our NEXT assets back to base, rearmed and ready to defend against the Carrier-class…"

"You're thinking the NEXTs can destroy it?"

"If they can't, the Sol Dios cannons should be able to."

"What of the large amount of BETA inside it?"

"Provided the ammo stores are protected, the NEXTs should be able to fend off the BETA while a full-scale retreat from Fort Lyons is conducted."

"So, you'd still have us abandon the base?"

"Not if it could be avoided, but this scenario calls for extreme measures."

"…If the NEXTs can't handle this, then…"

"The whole idea is a little concept called 'Scorched Earth'— if the base is overrun, the NEXTs and what forces we do have buy us time to evacuate… if I had Seven, I'd deploy myself. Once we're set to clear out, we set off what ammunition remains in this base, triggering a large explosion: the objective is to not only secure our retreat, but kill as many BETA as possible. I'm not sure what they're after, but what I do know is that they devour everything around them."

"Yes, I'm aware. The area where the Interior Hive is now used to be a forested area- virtually unaffected by the massive amounts of Kojima Pollution… and now it's a barren wasteland. Not even the desertification caused by Kojima did that this quickly, but in the four months since the Triple Impacts, that entire area has gone to ruin."

"Four Months… the area by Richland… White Africa, and the center of the former United States… the Triple Impacts. We can only assume those marked the arrival of the BETA, but that lies the question, why haven't we actively encountered BETA until recently..?"

"I don't really think that that question has much importance. We know the BETA are our enemies, potentially even more so than each other."

"Potentially? I'd disagree. That's something that's almost certain."

"Yet, you were one of the first to make the assessment that Omer's Kushina is a greater threat than the BETA hive."

"That's simply because it is. That doesn't change the fact that it's entirely viable that an alliance with Omer could be struck- weapons like the XAF would be best off being used against the BETA directly. People should be working together in the face of this alien invasion, not fighting petty battles like this. Hell, if it weren't for the Interior-Omer war, we could have the Answerer on our side. Not even the wrath of the laser-class BETA could bring down the Answerer— as far as we can tell, the BETA have no air assets: they can't fly."

"You sound like Diana Liotta once did…" Mary shed a tear as she spoke Diana's name.

"Diana Liotta? The Lynx of Variable Infinity?... She's the one that died to the laser class recently, correct?"

"Yes…"

"I'm sorry then."

"No. You're right- but peace between all of the corporations seems like a distant dream. Hell, even rebuilding the Answerer is a nigh-impossible task."

"That may be so."

"Telling you the truth, Cristoph, the only way I could see that coming to be is with another Reactionary force- like ORCA."

"Perhaps that may be the best plan… who knows, it may even bring the legendary Strayed out of hiding."

"Kasumi Sumika's Lynx…? The ORCA successor?"

"Yes. In a way, he got us into this mess… By bringing down the Assault Cells and opening the path to space, he allowed for the arrival of the BETA."

"That may be true, but he was right in his ideals— him and Thermidor both. Our Wynne D. Fanchon wasn't… she may have fought to save lives, but Earth is doomed. We need to find a new world, or else we're all going to die."

"Yet, Strayed brought upon the deaths of countless people with those same ideals— didn't you just make a point that it's barbaric to sacrifice the life of one Lynx to save the mission?"

"There's a difference in abandoning someone who can be saved and making an honorable sacrifice."

"I wouldn't call the price paid by those who fled to the clouds, only to be brought down to the surface- only to die by Kojima poisoning an 'honorable sacrifice'… it wasn't _Strayed_ or _ORCA_ that paid the price when the Closed Plan went into effect. It was the civilians who lived on the Cradles."

"That all depends on perspective… _Sacrifice everything to save what's most important to you. Be desperate to carry out your duty— achieve your mission with all your might. Despair not, until your final breath. Never die in vain: Make your death count!_"

"What do you mean?"

"It's just something Kasumi Sumika told me… if you look at it, is throwing away Lunaterisa's life letting her live up to that? No… she'd die in vain out there."

"Like anyone else who dies in battle…"

"MIRANIAS! GET BACK!" Sesia exclaimed, prompting Cristoph to turn around, and regain his focus on the mission at hand. "…Incoming missiles from the XAF! Victoria..!"

"I'm out of flares, Sis!" Victoria responded.

"AS missiles in flight..! No.! They're targeting Laser-class BETA over other missiles!?" Ay Pool exclaimed.

"Evade, Mira!" Cristoph exclaimed as he watched the missiles close in on Rydalith. He cringed as explosion after explosion surrounded the purple NEXT. "…You can't take another hit..! No…! There's..!"

"_Interior Hive Area"_

Rydalith slammed into the ground as the barrage of missiles fired from the XAF which soared overhead at intense speeds, equal to that of the Eclipse. The impact of the missile barrage crippled Miranias's NEXT, leaving it in CLSM. Miranias screamed as her NEXT collapsed.

"MIRA!" Adler shouted, rotating Zephiris to face the downed NEXT. He then quickly noted a Destroyer-class BETA moving towards Rydalith. He cringed and shook his head. Images of how May Greenfield was killed, how her NEXT was disabled, then knocked down by a Destroyer-class- and ultimately torn apart by Tank-class, and her ultimately eaten alive, flashed through his head. He almost instinctively, knowing that Miranias was alive within Rydalith, began to move Zephiris to kill the charging Destroyer-class, but was promptly stopped, as if Zephiris was no longer in his control.

"No..! Adler! The XAF is making a pass with its ELX!" Selene said, prompting Adler to look towards the skies.

"Do they mean to finish her off?!" Adler exclaimed as the Arms Fort effortlessly rotated in the skies above. Laser blasts poured into it, but appeared to be doing nothing to terrifyingly powerful Omer weapon.

"No.. their target is… the laser-class BETA… and us!"

"Damn..!"

"Just move… we can evade the fire of the ELX. It may have rapid fire capabilities, but it cannot aim easily at all." Selene said, her voice strangely calm in the given situation. "Release… just flow…"

"Huh? Selene? Are you…?" Adler seemed confused as Selene spoke so serenely.

"…Back, Quick Right… Then prepare for missiles."

"You were reading the crew of the XAF…?"

"Yes… they're trying to strafe out Laser-class and any NEXTs they can aim at… They believe Mira to be dead… they're going to use the Assault Cannon soon… Destroy the hive."

"So Cristoph's plan…!?"

"It may be something else… I can't tell…"

"I trust you Selene… Always have…" Adler said, closing his eyes, and doing exactly what Selene had said— narrowly evading the barrage of high-explosive rounds that shredded the ground in front of where Zephiris once was.

"Ahh!" Miranias's scream was a quick snap back for Adler, and everyone as the smoke cleared— Rydalith was collapsed on to the ground, following the impact of the Destroyer-class BETA, which then slumped over, its body a bloody mess— a long range round from Hrist had slain it, but numerous Tank and Grappler-class BETA continued to approach the destroyed NEXT.

"…Such a waste of ammo." Kroitchov said coldly. "…Let the dead be."

"You're a heartless bastard!" Aerilynn shouted, "I'd sooner…"

"You have a mission, Valkyrie. Stay to it… we do not have the resources to save that Lynx— its taxing enough to save the one we already are attempting to. And you don't have ammo to spare." Kroitchov said, his voice rising with a slight tinge of anger.

"Mira!" Llad called out, realizing that Rydalith had fallen, Arathor in full Overed-boost, approaching the downed NEXT, and traveling away from Freyja.

"No… he must return to Freyja… he must not come this way… the XAF will destroy him..!" Selene exclaimed.

"Llad! Stop!" Adler called out.

"Mira is down..! I'm not about to let her be eaten by BETA! I'll carry her out in Arathor if I have to, but I'm not going to let her—!"

"Stop, Llad." Selene said, activating her communicator to talk directly to Llad. "You mustn't… or the XAF will target you!... They're leaving Freyja alone… they only targeted the Odin because it posed a direct threat…! They'll destroy you if you get too far out…! Adler and I are already returning to—!"

"Selene!? What do you mean? How do you know—!?" Llad said, halting his Overed Boost, but continuing to approach the area where Rydalith went down.

"Just listen to her, Llad..! She's…!" Adler said, not wanting to look back, knowing full well, it'd only be seconds before Miranias would suffer the same, gruesome fate as May Greenfield: Tank-class BETA had already gotten a hold of Rydalith.

"I will at least give Mira a clean death—! If I can't save her..!" Llad seemed distraught. He quickly armed the Ogoto grenade cannon mounted on Arathor's left back weapon mount. He took aim at Rydalith, by locking on to the Tank-class BETA that were beginning to tear away Rydalith's armor. He pulled the trigger, only for it to click— he was out of ammunition. "Damn… out of ammo in my Grenade cannon… I'll finish this with my Assault Armor then..!"

"No. Stay back, Llad. We can't lose you as well..!" Selene said. "I know how you must feel… You and Mira were close, but think Llad… you know the truth- the XAF will kill you if you try… there's nothing you can do for her."

"Ahh! It's..! No..! Someone..! Please..! Help me!" Miranias cried out, the sounds of metal being torn away from Rydalith could be heard as she screamed.

_Interior Union Fort Lyons Base—Command Room_

Cristoph couldn't believe his eyes. "It.. can't be..! Cut the feed to Rydalith! Now!" His hands shook in fear. "Adler! Llad! Get in there..! Help her..!" He yelled. Images of May's death flashed through his head. History was indeed repeating itself right in front of him.

"Cancel that..! The XAF is preparing another missile barrage..! Get too close and that Arms fort will… you'll end up just like her..! Get back into position..!" Sesia yelled.

"Why haven't the feeds been cut..!?" Cristoph exclaimed, his hands shaking as he flipped a switch which he was certain that would cut the feeds to Rydalith, but nothing worked. "…Is something wrong with our console? Is it being jammed on?!"

He immediately took off his headset and closed his eyes, not wanting to watch. The hands of the Tank-class had broken through and into the armor of the downed NEXT. Miranias screamed, and cried as her NEXT creaked- the whole thing was moments from total failure. She squirmed back into her seat, trying desperately to get away from the reaching hands of the BETA. She grabbed her pistol from the side compartment and fumbled with it for a couple seconds, trying to take it out of safety mode. She screamed as she fired round after round towards the Tank, wounding it, but far from killing it. Her gun clicked after nine shots. She was out of ammo.

"Someone… please! Help me!" She cried out. "I don't want to die like this!"

"Cristoph..! I have found out, we have two… Oh… No!" Mary said, her voice shifting quickly to one of sheer horror, her eyes quickly affixed on the screen that had corresponded to Miranias's pilot feed. However, for Cristoph, Mary suddenly starting to talk again caused him to look on as the Tank class that Mira had shot earlier grabbed hold of her by her left arm, its immense strength immediately pulling it from its socket and ripping it off her body, leaving her to scream in extreme pain. The BETA promptly devoured the arm it had ripped off. Tears ran down her face, as blood flowed from her as the BETA grabbed her by her waist. It quickly bit down, decapitating her.

"NO!" Cristoph yelled out. "NOT AGAIN! DAMMIT!" He screamed, looking downward, clutching his head in his hands. "It's just like what happened..! It's IDENTICAL! AUGH!" He breathed heavily, and punched the screens in front of him. However, the moment he pulled his hand back, the sound of a gunshot filled his ears. He looked up, breathing heavily, and took a glance around the room, realizing that the screen which had once displayed the camera feed to Miranias had been shot.

"Cristoph! Get a hold of yourself, Operator!" Mary said, breathing heavily as well. "…Miranias is dead. That's the second Lynx we've lost to the BETA…"

"It.." Cristoph said.

"Wasn't your fault. Not this time. I heard what you went through at Richland- I know you blame yourself for May Greenfield's death- this is completely different." Sesia said, "Losing the Lynx you operate for occurs. That's just the nature of our job. Not every action is your fault. You may be responsible for strategy, but it's the individual soldiers on the battlefield who carry it out. You used to be a Lynx yourself… you should know that!"

"What do you know!?" Cristoph exclaimed. "I was a terrible Lynx! I'm only good at strategy— no! I'm not good at any of this! I've lost a Lynx I've been responsible for in_ both of the only two _operator missions I've undertook!"

"Were you expecting that something like Operation Ragnarok would be without losses!? You couldn't have possibly known about the BETA the first time, either! That mission was supposed to be a high-ranking Lynx being deployed against Normals!" Sesia countered, her voice heavy and solid. "Neither loss could be attributed to you..! So what if you didn't issue a retreat immediately!? It's not like anything would've been different!"

Cristoph merely took in a deep breath. "You're… right… I lost my cool there…"

"Seems like it might be a PTSD relapse— following this operation, I'd suggest you get yourself checked." Mary said, tears running down her face. "…We're starting the evacuation of Fort Lyons now— we have two operational NEXTs in Hangar A-702. The Aggressor-types."

"Aggressor-types?" Sesia asked.

"They're training NEXTs. Or rather, targets for trainees."

"Ah, I understand. We never used things like that at Line Ark."

"Well, they're Adamantium and Intruder— both designed as aggressors set to simulate the standard deployments of GA. They're both Hilbert Models."

"GA?"

"They're ultra-heavy NEXTs, which is a given, considering they're Hilberts, but it's their heavy use of Gatling cannons and Grenades that centralizes the two."

"Sounds like Seven." Cristoph said, "I assume, considering it will be needed, that you want me to pilot one of these NEXTs?"

"Yes— although we'll have to leave behind the other one."

"Can you go over the two NEXTs loadouts?"

"Adamantium is equipped with a large arm equipped Gatling gun, a GRA-Travers Grenade Cannon, back equipped 050ANSC Sniper Cannon, Dearborn03 VTF missile launcher, and shoulder equipped with Beltcreek03 relation missiles."

"Ok, that's nothing like Seven… Intruder?"

"Intruder is armed with twin arm equipped Gatling guns, twin back mounted Ogoto Grenade Cannons, and shoulder equipped SM01-Scylla AS Missiles."

"…And that is. If I'm going to pilot either of these NEXTs, I'll be piloting Intruder."

"Good. I'll tell the crew that you'll take up Intruder, so it needs to be properly loaded… Just, Cristoph, no matter what happens, don't lose yourself like that again- it was just offsetting to see someone as prideful as yourself lose it."

"I'll try, but…"

"I know you'd try to say that, but there's something bothering you about this, and if it really is PTS, that's something someone in your position needs to have brought under control— if it's absolutely necessary, I'm sure our medical staff can handle it— between hypnotic suggestions and stimulants, just about any deficiency can be dealt with."

"I'll be fine for now, I'm not that weak. Just get that NEXT ready. We're going to need it."

"_Interior Hive Area"_

"…We've recovered Lynx Lunaterisa..!" A man said, as a Goppert started boosting away from Freyja.

"How is she…?" Llad asked somberly.

"She's injured, but conscious… she appears to be in a lot of pain, although considering her injuries, I don't blame her. If it weren't for her fortified suit, she'd be dead already— she's lost a lot of blood- her cockpit block suffered severe damage, and she's got significant shrapnel wounds." The pilot said, explaining Lunaterisa's condition, while looking at her bloodied body. She had pieces of metal jabbed into her side, and bled heavily, despite the fact that she had basic first aid bandaging wrapped around her wounds that weren't sealed by the sticky white oxidized Impact gel. "She's lucky fortified suit impact gel coagulates into a sticky solid when it oxidizes, or she would've bled to death by now."

"Get her out of here..! Be careful with your movements though. Her Fortified Suit may be operational, and can compensate somewhat, but if it's as damaged as you're reporting it can't suppress G-force induced trauma like it normally could." Captain Eirina spoke up. "The Odin is almost fully evacuated. Fall back to the Baldr. She needs to be seen by medical personnel immediately, and we can't do that at this moment."

"…At least one of them lives…" Llad said. "I could've stopped Mira from dying that way…"

"No you couldn't have." Selene said. "The XAF would've tore Arathor to shreds with the…! No..! They're…!"

"What!?" Adler exclaimed, "Have they realized Lunaterisa is still alive!?"

"No… but if that Normal keeps moving like that she'll die..!"

"What do you mean!?"

"It'll be torn apart by the shockwave and Kojima rebalance."

"What do you mean by that!?"

"…There's massive amounts of Kojima energy beginning to build in the core of the XAF… it's going to use the Assault Cannon!"

"Then it's finally time to put an end to this battle!"

"But when it fires, look how it's moving..! They have no reason to aim at the Odin. They may have detected the Thor and Baldr… but why would they attack those two? They're way out of range… no… it's going to crush what remains of the Odin with the recoil from the Assault Cannon."

"Oh that's right… that cannon has amount of massive recoil… it's a Kojima Cannon… it's a projectile weapon, although the Kojima Particles act as an energy…"

"And because the XAF flies using Kojima, it braces itself with a massive field behind it. Everything back there will be torn to shreds by Kojima contamination like it had gotten close to the XAF with its Primal Armor active..!"

"Damn! That's not good!" Adler exclaimed. "Shouldn't we warn the Odin!?"

"There isn't enough time— especially if they continue the basic evacuation procedures, but if we warn the Normal pilot, at least Lunaterisa has a chance to live."

"So, Captain Eirina is doomed then…"

"You seem concerned for others for once, Adler."

"I'm damn tired of Omer…! They've killed how many people around us!? And after what happened to Mira..! Hell, they wanted that to happen to Luna too!"

Selene shook her head and smiled. "However you want to call it, but you're showing a care that you don't usually do…"

"Hey, Normal pilot carrying Luna!" Adler called out.

"Yeah..?" the man responded.

"Change your course."

"Why, Lynx?" The pilot said, "Didn't you hear our conversation earlier? I need to get this woman to medical treatment as fast as possible—she's lost a lot of blood..! Changing my course might get her killed..!"

"Staying on your current course ensures her—and your own, death!"

"What?! Has the enemy picked us up!? If so, do something about that!"

"No, but the XAF is preparing to fire its Assault Cannon!"

"What!?" Kagami exclaimed, "How do you know!?"

"Selene picked up massive amounts of Kojima Energy beginning to build up within the Kushina!...! It'll fire any moment now..! We need to be ready! It's time to end this!"

"Wait, what's the Kushina's target!? The Odin?!" Aerilynn asked.

"The Hive, I'd assume." Kroitchov said. "It'd be a waste for it to fire at the Odin. Other targets for it would be the Baldr and Thor, but that's not likely."

"They're targeting the BETA?! Then… oh… no..! Captain Eirina! Get out of the Odin!... You'll be obliterated by the backlash when the XAF fires!" Victoria called out.

"…There's still others on board this AF. I have a responsibility to them. I'll be the last to leave." Captain Eirina said sternly. "I have a duty to do."

"What's the point in that if you die!? If you die… it's over. _You_ have failed your mission! If you have a chance to escape with your life…" Victoria said.

"Easy enough for a Lynx to say, but I was once a Raven. We have a code of honor—unlike you we would sooner remain on a battlefield, knowing we're to die, than flee, losing our honor in the process." Eirina responded swiftly to Victoria. "And now I'm the highest Commanding Officer in this Arms Fort. I cannot abandon it—not while any of my crew is still on board."

"Then, all of you, get out now..!" Just take what vehicles you can and get out of there…!" Victoria pleaded. "Raven or Lynx it doesn't matter—you're still a person, and what matters is your life. It's one thing to die with your honor intact, but if your death is meaningless, than what have you accomplished?!"

"The XAF is approaching firing position!" Sesia called out. "All Lynx and Interior forces, the primary expected path of fire for the Assault Cannon is displayed on radar. Remember that the secondary killzone extends outwards from that. We're also displaying the backlash area….! Captain Eirina! Get out of there!"

The Captain closed her eyes. "I have a duty to fulfill— there is simply no way for all of us to escape, so those that can will. I'd sooner stay on board this doomed vessel, than flee. That is my mission— I will not abandon my mission."

"Then make living your mission—just evacuate…!"

"I'm sorry, Victoria, Sesia- but a Captain goes down with her vessel."

"Don't be an idiot Erina!" Adler yelled, "Get out of there while you can!"

"What will surviving the XAF do..? Fort Lyons is being attacked by BETA..!" The Captain said in a swift response. "There's a massive amount of BETA headed there right as we speak. If I am to die, I shall do so with honor and dignity. I will not die a coward."

"What!?" Adler exclaimed. "Cristoph! Sesia! Is that true!?"

"Unfortunately, we believe so. There's a large unknown type of BETA approaching by the Gear tunnel..!" Sesia said, "Command believed the knowledge of such an unnecessary burden on the Lynx—so we've been trying to keep the incoming attack a secret. Unfortunately it seems Captain Eirina picked up the Nine-Nine-One alert from the Ursragna units..!"

"Great… this day just keeps getting better." Adler said, shaking his head. "First Luna is taken down by that maniac, then Miranias is killed… now Fort Lyons is under attack by BETA. Michael fled the battlefield, and the XAF is going to obliterate the Odin…!"

"Yet, one might even say, that all things considered, this mission is going well..!" Lacie said, firing a rifle round into the side of a Grappler-class while boosting to get out of the firing path of the XAF. "The XAF is about to use its most powerful weapon on the one target we want it to…"

"But Captain Eirina will die!" Adler exclaimed. "She needs to get out of there, yet some shred of honor is keeping her on board..!"

"You know, it's extremely unsettling to hear you, of all people, that concerned about a '_mere Arms Fort Captain'_…" Kagami said, "Has something gone wrong with you, Adler?"

"No. Like I told Selene, I'm just tired of Omer killing people I know—I'm tired of them getting their way," Adler said, quickly cutting down an Omer Dulake, it exploding as the purple plasma passed cleanly thru it. "…and I'm sick of these damn BETA!" he exclaimed, turning Zephiris away from the destroyed Normal to fire on the BETA with its cannon.

"The XAF is preparing to fire…" Selene said. "We're out of time…! All NEXT units are in the safe zone. Hold position, Adler."

"Did that Normal carrying Luna get out of the way first!?"

"Yes, he corrected his course, although that may put him in danger from a small group of BETA- including one Fort-class…"

"We need to assist—!" Adler said, but Selene shook her head.

"Kroitchov and Aerilynn are best suited for that task. They don't have to leave their positions to eliminate the BETA that pose a direct threat to Luna's transport."

The XAF came to a halt, the front of the Arms Fort facing the Hive structure in the distance. Flashes of laser light broke upon the massive weapon as the beams struck its Primal Armor. The two massive crimson painted armor plates above the primary rectification units slid open and waves of Kojima energy started to emanate from the Arms Fort. Everything seemed to start to glow green as the massive amounts of Kojima energy built up within the Arms Fort. Everything seemed to stop for a second as a brilliant flash overtook the battlefield. A massive beam of Kojima Energy shot out from the front of the Arms fort, instantly incinerating everything in its path—nothing was spared the might weapon's wrath, even several of Omer's Normals were obliterated by the XAF's attack. None of the ground-bound BETA survived- nothing remained as the wave of intense Kojima energy shot from the XAF. The shot finally halted as it impacted the massive gray structure of the Hive. As it did, a massive Kojima explosion overtook the area- obliterating countless BETA, and setting the area ablaze. As the light of the Assault Cannon shot faded, a massive column of smoke was all that remained of the Hive- the gray structure had been completely destroyed. Behind the XAF, the massive shockwave from firing the main cannon had torn the immobile Land Crab to pieces, which were engulfed in flames. The tattered remains of several GAME-Quasar units and various MTs and Normals also dotted the area.

"Such power…" Kagami said, shocked by the sheer power of the main weapon of the XAF. Brunnhilde lifted off into the sky, almost immediately afterwards, now that the Laser-class BETA were destroyed.

"So that's the power of the XAF Kushina…" Aerilynn said, having received an order to eliminate the surviving BETA that were in the path of the Dulake that was transporting Lunaterisa to the Arms Fort.

"Just what kind of weapons is Omer building?!" Llad asked rhetorically. "That kind of firepower is insane. There's no reason for it!"

"Behold, Interior pilots, the power of Omer Science Technology!" A man shouted. "This Arms Fort is only the beginning!"

"What are they trying to say to us?!" Adler exclaimed.

"The… storm god…" Selene said, her voice quiet and somber. "This is only the princess… the Storm God yet sleeps…"

"What..? Do you mean that this Arms Fort is…"

"It's nothing compared to what they're building… they need me and something else to complete it… but once they have it… nothing will stop them." Selene said. "Not any other company, not the BETA… no one, nothing… if the Storm God is awoken… It… it's my purpose."

"Stop saying that, Selene…! You're not Omer's… you don't have to follow _any_ purpose..! You're your own person." Adler said, turning to face Selene. "And we won't let Omer build something like that..! If they can't activate their 'Storm God' without you, they'll never activate it..!"

"If I don't… everyone will die…" Selene said in response, tears rolling from her eyes. "We need that power..!"

"For what!?"

"I… don't know… I just remember… A sea of endless pain. Everyone will die without it's awakening… I will awaken the storm god and become its heart… and then… Omer will stand atop the world."

"The XAF has lost its Primal Armor capabilities..! All units, attack at will! Target the XAF's primary rectification units..!" Sesia yelled.

"What about Captain Eirina!?" Kagami exclaimed. "Was she..?"

"She's not accounted for… we assume she died during the destruction of the Odin." Cristoph stated. "Quickly, you only have three minutes and thirty seven seconds until the XAF resumes normal battle procedures. We won't get another chance to bring it down!"

"And Luna?" Llad asked.

"We're still alive." The Normal Pilot who had picked up Lunaterisa from her destroyed NEXT responded. "Just hurry and destroy the XAF…! Else we're all done for..!" He fired a boost to avoid a Grappler-class BETA and returned fire with his laser rifle, killing it as a sniper round from Nevermore killed a laser-class that had been hidden within the Fort, only to emerge as the XAF fired it's Assault Cannon.

"…It's Finally time to end this..!" Adler shouted, activating Zephiris's Overed Boost, and closing in on the immobile XAF.

"The XAF is immobile, but outside of its Kojima weapons, it is still fully operational. Be careful." Cristoph explained. "Its main weapons right now are its standard missiles and the ELX—it also has numerous chain gun emplacements. Be careful as your Primal Armor capabilities are still being neutralized by the XAF's presence."

"Gotcha, Raptor." Adler said.

"The ELX still has a terrible firing arc. If the XAF can't move… it won't hit us." Llad said with confidence.

"The main issue will be the enemy's missiles." Ay Pool explained, "But without the Laser-class BETA, my AS missiles should lock onto them and destroy them."

"…They killed Mira, Eirina, and countless others…" Aerilynn said. "and they hurt Lunaterisa..!"

"…I'll destroy them all!" Kagami shouted, following Adler and Llad- activating her Overed boost. "For Mira, Eirina… for all of my friends!...! I'm… Valkyrie-01!...! I will live up to my title..! I will…!"

The sky filled with a distinct roar as the massive missile launchers of the XAF fired a barrage of missiles, prompting Kagami to target the launcher with what ammo remained in her Gatling guns. Walls of flame and shrapnel rained from the launcher that she targeted, as missile after missile exploded on launch.

The skies flashed as the four ELX cannons fired round after round, devastating the ground and the area in front of the XAF.

"Not going to hit me." Adler shouted. "I'm going to kill you..! For all the lives you've taken, I'm going to kill every one of you..!" He began to close in on the XAF's primary Rectifiers. "Omer! You bastards..! You hear me!? I'm going to kill every last one of you!... and this Arms Fort is the first thing on my list!"

"Adler..! Take it down for all of us!" Llad said, dodging away from the barrage of missiles that flew towards Arathor, responding to them in kind by firing a quartet of AS missiles, which automatically locked on the enemy's missiles. "You're the one we always have chosen… to defeat the largest of enemies."

A series of explosions seemed to be everywhere as Ay Pool released her own AS missiles, which, indeed countered the XAF's missiles. Explosions flanked Zephiris as it closed in— only seconds remained before it was in striking distance of the two primary rectifiers. "Remember, Adler, this isn't like a Giga Base… you have to take out both Rectifiers to do any damage to that monster." She said, the wing-like arms of Vero Nork spread wide as the it flew alongside the other NEXTs.

"I know…" Adler said, closing his eyes. "Selene… today, we take our vengeance..!" He fired a swift quickboost as Zephiris deployed its blade. The missiles from the XAF roared as the Arms Fort fired again, and a strange heart-beat like sound could be heard emanating from the XAF: the distinct sound of the Kojima reactor within the beast. Time seemed to slow for Adler as the purple plasma plunged into the glowing green Primal Armor rectifier. A surge of green, smoke-like Kojima particles began to flow from the destroyed rectifier as the blade retracted. Bits of shattered and partially melted super-carbon metal rained down to the ground below as flames ruptured from the side of the Arms Fort.

"One Core Rectifier destroyed..! One-hundred-forty-three seconds until the XAF resumes operation..! Adler! Destroy the other rectifier!" Cristoph said, a tinge of the joy of a temporary victory in his voice.

"We don't have the energy to use the Moonlight again… We need to recover—!" Selene said, quickly parsing the data she received from Zephiris.

"…The XAF…! It's firing another volley of missiles!" Sesia shouted. "They're targeting you, Adler!"

"That close?! They'll… wait, if I can't use my blade to attack…!" Adler said, "It's just like that fool of a Lynx who was the former Rank 26 before we showed up!... Everyone! Let them fire! That'll be their own demise!"

"Adler?! Are you crazy?! You saw what those missiles did to Mira and her Rydalith!" Kagami exclaimed as the launchers started to open. "Do you want to get yourself and Selene killed?!"

"…I've done this before— Remember that Order Match shortly after the Noginsk raid? When I took the Collared Rank 26?" Adler responded, his hands tightening around the controls of Zephiris.

"You brought him down by guiding his own Wheeling03 vertically launched missiles into him using Zephiris's sheer speed…" Aerilynn said. "Are you going to try the same with the XAF?!"

"Exactly…! You've seen me do this before..! I can do it again. The only real difference is that this time, the target ain't going anywhere, and it's a lot… bigger!" Adler exclaimed. He saw the line of purple balls form on his radar, approaching quickly from behind as the missiles looped around to chase him. "Come get me—! The Omer fools will have a nice present from themselves!" The purple dots on the radar got closer.

"We only have three percent energy… enough for a single quick boost. We cannot sustain flight…" Selene said. "Even I can't…"

"Even you can't… what?" Adler said, bracing himself for the split second where he'd react.

"The XAF's Primal Armor is starting to resume operation. Adler..! Quickly! Finish that Arms Fort! If they get their PA back online, we won't get another shot at destroying the Kushina!... And there's no way we'd survive against that Assault Cannon!" Cristoph exclaimed.

"Victoria..! Aerilynn! Kroitchov! …Anyone who can..! Target the XAF's primary rectification unit!" Sesia said, "We need to end this, now!"

"Now." Selene and Adler both said, simultaneously, firing the one Quick Boost that Zephiris could afford— its AOB unit swinging to support the firing of the Quick Boost, bringing Zephiris away from the Rectifier and around the side of the XAF in an instant. A wall of flame erupted from behind them as Zephiris began to quickly lose altitude, its boosters struggling in vain to remain active.

"…Target destroyed." Selene said, and almost instantly a sigh of relief could be heard from everyone involved. The XAF had lost its most powerful assets- the nearly invincible Primal Armor as well as its Assault Cannon.

"The… XAF is still operational though!" Adler said, quickly noting the barrage of chain gun fire, which he quickly resumed his boosting to avoid.

"…Remember the briefing…! The XAF's other weak points are its support rectification units." Cristoph explained. "The Head unit of the XAF has four such units— if you eliminate those, its support PA, which is what is preventing the Risen Spirit from striking the AF, will fail."

"And the others were in its legs— just behind the ELX batteries… taking those out will remove any maneuverability that the XAF has… and send it crashing to the ground…!" Adler said, remembering the explanation of the weak points of the XAF.

"The Kojima flow seems to be intensifying!" Selene exclaimed. "…Adler! Everyone!" She yelled on the open channel. "…The XAF is going to explode..! Get out of here!"

"What!? It's still operational, yet it's getting ready to explode!?" Adler exclaimed.

"…There's way too much power pouring from the core…! It's building up in the Assault Cannon…! It'll explode in less than a few minutes!"

"Selene!? How can you tell!?" Cristoph said, "…That's something none of us here can—"

"Raptor! You know you should trust Selene..!" Adler exclaimed, boosting away from the XAF, but being careful to not cross the firing arcs of the ELX chain railguns, which were displayed as large red areas on his radar.

"…Very well, consider this operation a success..! Get to the Arms Forts… and get back to base—! There's more BETA to deal with." Cristoph said.

Adler flipped a switch in Zephiris. "…System switched to Normal Mode. Engaging Cruising Overed Boost." a computerized voice said, as the massive plume of Kojima-charged thrust erupted from the two massive boosters on Zephiris's backside, along with the blue-tinged thrust of the AOB...

* * *

**Author's Note: **Whoa, sorry. I missed a week. Damn Writer's Block. Hit me like a freaking truck it did. Oh well... Ragnarok continues. Also Warning! Trope Detected: Anyone Can Die.


	15. Ragnarok: Cadence Call

_**Part 4: Cadence Call  
**__Mid Afternoon  
Arms Fortress Sol Dios Orbit Unit: Baldr_

"Dammit!" Kagami cried out, "Let me see her!... Luna has to be alright…! She just has to..!"

"I'm sorry… even if you're one of her direct squadmates, Kagami, I just can't let you into that room right now." The armed guard standing in front of the small door labeled "Medical Treatment Room 001A" said. "Lunaterisa is not to be approached, spoken to, or seen by any of the non-medical staff for no less than Thirty-Six Hours. That's the order—it comes from the Fort Lyons Base Executive Officer directly—there's nothing I can do."

"…Thirty-six!?" Kagami exclaimed, "That long?! Why!?... She's not dead right? She's gonna be…!"

"I can't say." The guard replied quickly.

"She's alive, right..?" Llad's voice caught Kagami off guard. "We didn't…"

"Yes, she's alive… as far as I know." The guard shook his head. "It wasn't a total loss… at least her rescue went well,_ although the BETA got to Mira…_"

"That's good to hear… somewhat." Llad said, looking at the guard. "What's her official status? I know it's critical, but…"

"Three Red Marks."

"Three.. Reds?" Llad took in a deep breath. "Well at least it's not a black mark, so she's not beyond saving—but three Reds, that's nearly terminal… she's hurt badly then…"

The guard quickly shook his head. "I'm sorry, Llad, Kagami. I can't say anything else— I'm under orders to not explain anything about her, currently."

"Is she… really that bad off?"

"I… can't say." The guard looked like he wanted to cry. "I…I've never seen someone like that… it was horrible."

"You…you're not making this any better.." Kagami cried. "Just let me see her..! I want to see her myself—so I know she's gonna be alright…"

"I'm sorry, Kagami, but orders are orders." The guard said. "And Llad… I'm sorry about Mira…"

Llad shook his head "… you had no involvement in what happened to her… she was out of position…" he said after a brief pause. "You don't need to apologize for…"

"…Llad?" Kagami said, turning towards the brown-haired Lynx standing behind her. "…how can you speak so calmly after…"

"I… don't know, Kagami." Llad said, shaking his head. "I guess it might be the stimulants and standard combat hypnosis that occurs on the battlefield… Emotions have no real place out there… I nearly wound up dead as well—if it weren't for Selene intervening…"

"But… you and Mira were…" Kagami cried. "It's just too sad…" she turned towards Llad and almost instinctively threw herself at him. Her face was drenched in tears. "…I'm… sorry Llad… I was too focused on…"

"Don't apologize either, Kagami…" Llad shook his head, and looked down towards the crying red-haired girl. "You had to protect Luna. You did all you could for that mission… You couldn't have saved Mira too."

"But…!"

"Thanks to you, Luna is…"

"Still alive, even if she's bad off—" the guard said, with a melancholy tone. "…Kagami— you're the reason she's alive. You saved her from those… things—the BETA didn't reach her thanks to you."

"I… Know… but… still… Llad, I- I…" Kagami continued to cry. "…we won… we beat Omer… and yet… we've… lost… so much…"

"That's right… we beat Omer…! The XAF is no more." Adler's sharp voice was a quick change of pace, he sounded angry, yet at the same time, oddly upbeat, compared to the otherwise somber atmosphere. "Kagami… Llad… I assume you're here for the same reason…"

"They won't let us see Luna for Thirty-six Hours… which considering we've got to hold the line for four, during the full scale retreat from Fort Lyons, we won't get a chance to see her until after we've arrived a Peruluke Naval Port… assuming we stay here—the retreat from Fort Lyons marks the absolute end of Operation Ragnarok." Llad said, placing his right hand on top of Kagami's head, as she continued to cry. "How are you and Selene doin— wait, where is Selene anyways?"

"I'm ok, if a bit ticked off… I can't believe after it all, Omer still killed how many of our allies? Mira, Eirina…! I-I…" Adler clenched his fists with an angry look on his face, before taking in a deep breath, "Selene is fine… as far as I know. She seems a bit off— it's actually worrisome… she got that way at Richland… She's currently staying in Zephiris until the call for the secondary briefing begins… "

"Not that again…" Llad said. "…I hope she's alright. I don't know what I'd do if Selene was to go in the middle of this… I know you'd be… simply gone, but… that much loss..?"

"…I think, no, I know, _I'd_ lose it. I couldn't take losing Selene… not again. Those ten… years… they were hell. But for all it is, I trust her— she told me she's alright, so I'll take it as it stands… but Luna? Is she?"

"Three Red Marks… she's near death, but they can save her." Llad said nodding, "If getting her here had taken any longer…"

"Well, at least she's alive…" Adler said, "That, and the XAF going down… at least something is going right for a change…"

"You sound like something else is wrong, Adler. I know you're being oddly caring today, but…" Llad said.

"…Zephiris is just about out of commission." Adler said, looking down.

"You didn't seem to get hit much out there… so why?"

"It's not Zephiris's frame— no, even without repairs, she's got a stable twenty-six-thousand eight-hundred AP…No. I'm out of ammo for my PA Suppression Gun—"

"Then have it reloaded."

"I—they, can't. And they can't reload your grenades or Aerilynn's Sniper rounds either… about all that can be is Gatling rounds and AS missiles, and of course, Laser-coolant Charges, and Flares... although the majority of the other weapons can be rearmed at Fort Lyons. All of that new model GA weapon's ammo was on board the Odin— the thirty-nine rounds I've got are all I have."

"You've still got your Blade…and our enemy is the BETA… sure the PA suppression cannon is nice, but… you're a CQC expert, Adler, that 07-Moonlight should be all you need to kill those damn things."

"…The damn thing is burned out."

"What?"

"I fire that blade too many more times and it may just explode, taking out Zephiris's Arm— it took damage when I stabbed the XAF with it…"

"…wait, so one of our main NEXTs is just about useless? I bet even Cristoph is gonna have trouble strategizing for that one… and we have no clue as to how many BETA we'll be fighting or what types there will be… hell, there might even be Heavy-laser class… considering this big thing isn't coming from the Hive near here, as far as we can tell, anyways."

"Yeah, pretty much. I can't very well operate Zefi under these conditions… and with Fort Lyons being evacuated, getting my Eltanin remounted… is crazy. Cristoph said it's 'doable', but…"

"But that… may be our only hope… you may at times be a coward, Adler… but…" Kagami sobbed, "We need you… If we go thru all we have… just to die holding Fort Lyons… It'd be…"

"I know, Kagami… but… while these words aren't mine, they keep coming back, 'Despair not until your final breath. Never die in Vain—Make your death count.' I plan to follow that—I won't let those who died at the Hive… I won't let it be for nothing—like I've said in the past, Omer, the BETA, it doesn't matter… I'll crush them all." Adler said, with a slight smirk on his face, his mind quickly set on a plan to get off the immediate threat—taking note of Kagami, "Say, Llad… when'd you fall for that one..?"

"I-I haven't!" Llad said, "Adler, you—!"

Adler shook his head, "I know Mira's dead now, and you two hadn't been together for almost a year, but come on, Llad— Kagami?"

"Adler! You—!" Kagami exclaimed, releasing Llad and staring angrily at Adler.

"I suppose turning the tables on you two certainly lightens the mood, doesn't it..? Think what Luna would've said… After all you do with me and Selene, Llad…!"

Kagami blushed. "Dammit, Adler!" She exclaimed as Adler turned away.

"I'll see you in the briefing room… it starts in fifteen minutes." Adler said, walking away from the two Lynx. "I… just can't keep up with this… Not anymore… I can't allow anymore failure… the BETA… you freaks are next on my list…!"

_Arms Fortress Sol Dios Orbit Unit: Baldr- Briefing Room _

"Attention Lynx, this is an Emergency Deployment Request from the Interior Union." The Automated briefing spokeswoman said. "Within thirty minutes, a large, unknown class of BETA will enter Fort Lyons area thru the gear tunnel— as a result the final barrier into the base has been sealed, which may force the unknown BETA to surface. According to intel gathered on the unknown BETA, it contains numerous smaller strains of BETA, including laser-class, and possibly heavy-laser class."

"Dammit… Heavy Lasers?" Adler cringed.

"As a result, Fort Lyons is being evacuated to Port Peruluke to the south—however this evacuation will take time. So we need you to secure Fort Lyons- and drive back the BETA."

"Obviously… that's the most basic description of this mission." Adler muttered. "Already knew that was the basic plan. They sealed the final barrier though? That's a three-hundred and seventy meter-thick wall of steel, super-carbon and concrete designed to stop Ursragna units.. and once its sealed, it can't be reopened…"

"During the evacuation, two Arms Fort Units will pass thru Fort Lyons—these are high priority Escort objects, as one of them contains important personnel to the Union."

"…That'd be Lunaterisa… of course, everyone at the Operation Ragnarok already knew that… why'd they state that information..? Do we have back up?" Adler asked himself, turning to Selene who stared blankly at the screen.

"During the operation, Resupply and Rearming of Key NEXTs is to occur as follows—Firstly NEXT Zephiris will be reoutfitted to account for combat damage. Assuming no BETA enter the hangar during that time-frame, reequipping of that NEXT should be complete in less than fifteen minutes. Afterwards, the priority is to be determined on site by upper-ranking personnel."

"So, we're up front then."

"Do not allow BETA to approach the NEXT Hangars—this poses a serious threat to base personnel, and the Lynx conducting resupply operations… the whole process should see every NEXT fully rearmed within less than an hour. During that time, the first Sol Dios Orbit Unit, Thor will have passed thru Fort Lyons, and the second unit, Baldr will be entering the Base. As these Arms Forts are essential to the Union, it is imperative that both be protected, so make swift elimination of the Heavy-laser Class BETA, should they be present the highest priority."

"Obviously on all points…" Adler muttered, "This briefing is nothing like the four-and-a-half hour seminar we received on the XAF yesterday. True, it's got to be brief, but it sounds like there isn't even a real strategy behind this."

"Once the base is evacuated, remote explosives will activate- the estimated explosive yield from remaining ammo stock piles, and the charges is roughly three-hundred-thirty-two Megatons. This will level the base, and with any hope, eliminate all remaining BETA present."

"Scorched Earth… so they're going to destroy Fort Lyons..?" Adler shook his head. "… Such a loss…"

"We sincerely hope you can come thru for us…. Briefing Over."

_Interior Union Fort Lyons Base— Aggressor NEXT Hangar_

"…Intruder." Cristoph said, looking up at the gray-colored NEXT. It was indeed quite like his own NEXT, Seven, which lie dormant in a Hanger in a base belonging to BFF— he hadn't actually piloted a NEXT in several months, after nearly dying in an operation gone wrong- winding up facing an opponent he just couldn't outdo: if it weren't for Adler's sudden appearance, he'd be long dead. He wasn't the best NEXT pilot in existence, and had relied heavily on sheer tactical prowess to win what battles he did. "…Let's see if I can pull this off…" He sighed. "At least the BETA don't appear to fight tactically— I have _that _advantage." The NEXT, called Intruder officially, and referred to as Watasumi, due to its association with simulated Arisawa foes, by a few of the base personnel was a gray-colored, orange-eyed Heavy NEXT built using a combination of parts from Aldra, the Union and Torus— by all means it was a Hilbert with Torus made Argryos arms, and GA weaponry. It certainly looked powerful, but it clearly wasn't going anywhere fast, and while that bothered him, Cristoph nodded looking at the NEXT's weapons. "Two Gatling cannons and twin Ogoto Grenade cannons… I can certainly use this thing… but can that giant BETA even be stopped?"

"Need to know anything about that NEXT, Raptor?" Lt. Colonel Mary asked, nodding at Cristoph as he stood on the ground of the hangar, a few meters away from the feet of the gray, super-carbon armored giant. "I will tell you, that the Valkyries found it rather hard to bring down on numerous occasions… and it is equipped with Assault Armor, so it's not going down easily… not to the BETA anyways… I don't know about that Carrier-class though…"

"Well, that's some encouragement… getting this thing in action… though."

"Oh, we've linked the Drone assets— several Normals, and Adamantium will be operating as drone support, use them as you see fit…"

"You've got Adamantium up?"

"Yes. It'd be a pointless waste to not use it, although it's only acting as a drone— it won't be all that useful." Mary shook her head as she looked at Cristoph. "I'll be out there too. I've got a Normal."

"You're going to fight in this?! Aren't you part of the Interior's Command Staff?"

"Yes, I am— I'm also a Raven- I have a duty to fight when that time comes. I have an honor to uphold— many may not see us Ravens for anything more than the money-bound mercenaries we've always been, much like you Lynx, but we've always held a code of honor. I won't run from this battle— I'll see it thru to the very end, even if I have to give my life… I'm not a coward like that XO of ours."

"You sound like you know you're going to die, Mary." Cristoph shook his head. "Don't: these soldiers need you— everyone involved in what's happening right now does— what was that line again?"

"Don't try to twist it, but I don't plan on dying. Not yet. But, the first and foremost is 'Sacrifice everything to protect what's most important, be desperate to carry out your duty, and achieve your mission with all your might', and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm no Lynx, so I don't expect a miracle— I pilot a third-generation core, a custom AC-3, it's a fair deal stronger than an average Normal, but… it's nothing compared to a NEXT, and both you and I know that."

"Don't die though… if things get too rough, I want you to retreat. Don't go saying anything about honor or what not. That doesn't matter if you're dead—"

"I am a Raven, Cristoph. I will not allow myself to run. You just worry about living through the twenty-three minutes of death."

"Twenty-three? All NEXTs I've known of have lived for twenty-six at minimum against the BETA— I was the one who watched May Greenfield…"

"Yes, I'm aware that she survived twenty-six minutes against BETA. she was also far from an 'Average' Lynx— yes, the difference in skill makes a huge difference, but those at the Union recognize the now available knowledge of how the BETA fight and the strength of the NEXT… so the logical loss in survival time between a Lynx of her caliber and an average Lynx was only estimated at three minutes. Compared to a Normal which is estimated at fourteen…"

"Fourteen minutes, huh? You worry about getting through that then. Remember, no matter your honor, your mission is to protect this base, to ensure the evacuation of its personnel and then get out alive. If you die— you've failed your mission. There's no reason to willingly die."

"Cristoph—" the Lieutenant Colonel shook her head. "You've certainly spun things. I'll do what I can to not die on you, but don't you dare go out of your way to protect me, because I know what you're thinking."

"Heh. Am I being that easy to read?"

"Maybe so…"

"Don't assume much, Mary."

_Airspace Near Interior Union Fort Lyons Base_

"Arrive before the battle begins…" Selene said, "Conduct repairs on Zephiris, Engage enemies as soon as possible… Our mission is the suppression of enemy Heavy-laser class and Fort-class…"

"Selene…" Adler said, shifting his eyes back to the girl who sat behind him.

"…Destroy the BETA, escort the Sol Dios Orbit units. Unify with retreating forces, work with Aldra's Soldner group to ensure safe arrival of all assets at Port Peruluke… remain clear of Lyons…" She muttered the basic mission details.

"Just what is wrong with you?" Adler asked.

"Nothing.. Adler, I'm sorry if I'm worrying you… but… today's been hard on me." she responded. "…all the fighting… and then losing Mira and Eirina… I just want this horrible day to end… I want to… eliminate the BETA… and go… home."

"Selene…" Adler shook his head. "Fort Lyons is only a couple minutes away… Hmm… do you see that?"

"They're fielding two NEXTs… do they have— dammit… one of them must be Cristoph. What kind of mess is he going to get himself into now?"

"... I hope we don't lose him out here."

"…I agree, and I don't want to end up saving him from whatever stupid scenario he gets himself into."

"…The two NEXTs appear to be the Aggressor Models… Adamantium and Intruder."

"The GA-simulation NEXTs? Well, I can't see even Cristoph failing against BETA in those… so he should be fine as long as he sticks to the ground and doesn't do anything stupid."

"There's also a large group of Normals… wait. That one… it's different. Is there a Kojima reading?"

"No. It's not a NEXT, nor a 2nd-generation core…"

"First? TSF?"

"I don't think so… It looks fairly new…"

"I see that— it looks like a cross between the 048AC-S and the SELJQ, but we thought the Type-00 Takemikazuchi was an Algebra prototype…"

"It doesn't have 'jump units', it's not a TSF, and we know all of the first and second generation ACs… perhaps this… no! I know what that is…"

"Huh?"

"Remember… it's Lt. Colonel Mary's personal normal unit, Cygun."

"…then Mary intends on fighting!? She's going to die out there! That Normal won't stand a chance!"

"Adler… do you read me? Land at Point B8, and proceed to the hangars immediately." Cristoph said.

"Yeah, I know. Zephiris needs to be re-outfitted for this operation. The rest of the unit is about half-an-hour behind… what's the estimated time on BETA arrival?"

"Nine minutes."

"So, which of those NEXTs are you operating?"

"…I'm an—"

"He's in AC-6 Intruder, with AC-13 Adamantium operating in Drone Mode as support." Mary answered. "Sesia will act as operator for this, considering Cristoph has to pilot for us."

"Mary? Why is your Cygun deployed? Are you going to fight?"

"Adler… If I have to explain myself like I did to Cristoph… yes, I'm going to fight, I am a Raven after all. Cygun is outfitted with a heavy machine gun, and support missiles. It's not as useful as a NEXT against BETA, but I can perform my task to its fullest."

"…Mary, we've lost a lot of friends today… don't die on us too.." Selene said.

"Don't worry, Selene, I won't intentionally get myself killed— but I will accomplish my mission with all my might—"

"Just remember, though, dying here is to fail your mission, Mary." Adler said.

"Cristoph said the same thing. It's like you Lynx prioritize living over honor."

"What is there of 'honor'?" Adler shook his head. "If you're dead it doesn't matter, you're dead. Better to live as a coward than to die."

"You lynx seem to have no sense of it then," Mary shook her head. "Since the Ravens have ever been— we've held our honor at the highest. A Raven will never run away, will never abandon their mission. Even if that means dying is unavoidable, we'll see it through to the very end."

"Yet that creed you speak so highly of…"

"Don't twist it, Adler… Cristoph said the same things."

"Whatever— I don't care, but if worst comes to it, I will have your back. Don't die before Zephiris is back in the fight."

"Don't forget your mission, either, Adler!"

"Don't worry, Mary, I won't."

_Northern_ _Airspace Near Interior Union Fort Lyons Base_

"Well, that's what I've been waiting for… Let's see this get going…" The pilot of a lone NEXT said, having heard the emergency briefing. "Attention Interior Union Forces… I accept this mission request."

"…What? Who are you?" Sesia responded. "This mission is directed, it's not a free operation for just any Lynx."

"Does it really matter who I am? It seems like your base is in trouble due to BETA… having another NEXT on the field will certainly come in handy."

"…We don't have any COAM to spare, we're stretched to our limit here as is. So if you're just looking to make a quick buck on this, you're fresh out of—"

"Oh, I already have all the COAM I'll ever need. I'm not after payment… at least not for myself."

"Just who are you, Lynx?"

"…Back to that question? I'll state my only price, and re-extend my mission acceptance… I'll tell you who I am afterwards."

"Alright, whoever you are…"

"I ask only one thing… any Laser or Heavy-laser class BETA I kill… they're not yours. Once I kill them, they officially belong to _Omer Science Technology._"

"What?!"

"It's a simple price. Besides, you're going to scuttle this base anyways, according to your briefing."

"Yes, but we're— well I'm not, but this base is the Interior Union— isn't Omer and the Union in direct conflict?"

"That is true, but the BETA is a common foe, correct?"

"The enemy of one's enemy is not necessarily a friend."

"But, out here, it's business. _Sesia._"

"Wait, how'd you know who I was."

"Do you think I wouldn't know the voice of the Double Heart team's operator? That I wouldn't recognize Berlioz's daughter?"

"Just who the hell are you?"

"… The name's Michael, Collared Rank Twelve. NEXT is Shatterstone. And today, I must congratulate you— your forces successfully brought down the XAF-Kushina… and as a reward, I'm offering to save you all from the thousands of BETA that will surface within minutes—"

"Michael—you!"

"What? Are you going to deny the help you need to save your friends and yourself—? Do you want to be eaten?"

"No…? But…"

"Good then. My NEXT will arrive at about the same time as the BETA… Just remember my price. All of the laser species I kill, they're effectively mine…"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Writer's Block SUCKS. That is all... Hmmm...Hopefully I'm not too distracted...


	16. Reaction, Day 1

_Unspecified Date, Evening Hours  
A Battlefield Near Colony N73, Algebra Territory_

"Damn!" A soldier, a pilot of an Algebra SELJQ Normal, cried out. "They just keep coming…!"

"Forty-nine thousand signatures confirmed." A woman replied. "It's a massive herd. The largest seen outside of hive conditions, except when the Interior lost Fort Lyons."

"Don't say stuff like that, Annie!" The soldier responded. "Damn, if it weren't for those damn lasers, we'd be able to beat back the BETA no problem." He said, swinging his Normal into position, and slamming a Grappler with the powerful piler on his craft, before boosting away.

"Energy spikes confirmed. Lasers are locked on to you, Jacob! Get out of there!" The woman, Annie shouted.

"Gotcha!" the pilot responded, gliding to the right, getting dangerously close to another grappler-class BETA.

"Jacob, you fool! Do you want to die!?" Another man called out, rapidly firing his Normal's machine gun, ripping the Grappler to pieces.

"We're all dead anyways!" Jacob responded. "…There's thousands of them… and they just keep coming..!"

"If we fail here, the colony is… everyone there is dead!"

"I know that!" Jacob shouted, "But what can we do!?" Jacob boosted his core towards the east, setting his sights on the now exposed Laser-class BETA and opening fire. As he did though, a blinding red flash over took his vision. A red flash he knew too well- this wasn't his first fight against the BETA, and it wasn't the first time he had encountered the Heavy-laser class. He knew all too well what they were aiming at as well— the only true hope they had at winning this battle, the Arms Fort.

"H-heavy Lasers!?" Annie exclaimed, shaken as the Arms Fort Land Crab that loomed over the battlefield took fire from the emerging Heavy Lasers. "Heavy Laser BETA are emerging from the sinkholes!... All Troops! Missiles! Full on missile barrage..! Saturation attack! We have to stop those Heavy lasers!"

"Great… we're already hopelessly outnumbered, and now, we've got the enemy's strongest asset besides the 'Carrier-class' that took down Lyons against us.." Jacob said, firing his machine gun into the enemy, ripping apart a group of Tank-class BETA.

"Johan! Watch your altitude!" A female Normal pilot called out, but her words were too late, a laser cut thru the Normal that had leapt into the air, but, it's pilot didn't die entirely in vain, a series of dumb-fired rockets shot off of the Normal moments before the laser blast reduced it to cinders.

"Damn.!..! Unit A-7 is gone. We've lost twelve percent of our Normal forces already!" Annie exclaimed. "At this rate…"

"It's over… it's all over. For us here, and for everyone in the colony..!" Jacob said, as he watched the enemy creep ever closer. He repeated his rushing attacks with his piler, killing a Destroyer-class, but one dead Destroyer was little in the wake of such insane numbers.

"Anomalies detected on Radar!?... Such insane speeds… It couldn't be…! Eight Signatures?!" Annie exclaimed.

"What the hell could possibly…" Jacob looked around, trying to figure out what was approaching.

"…Kojima Signatures confirmed! Approaching objects are confirmed as NEXTs!"

"…Oh look. Finally Algebra is sending some actual reinforce—" His head shook as the rush of a boost backwards took him. He caught sight of the approaching NEXTS… Against the sky they were nothing more than brilliant dots, glowing brightly in the evening sky, the plumes of ignited Kojima particles given off by their Vanguard Overed Boost units enough to make them visible.

"…Attempting to get a confirmation on approaching craft."

"…Any human entering this battle is an ally. Doesn't matter what they are— the mistakes of the Interior's Ragnarok will never again be…"

"Lead craft is confirmed. Former Collared Rank 26, now Irregular— Zephiris!"

"Zephiris!? Adler!? What the hell..?" Jacob muttered to himself. "Why the hell is he of all people coming to…"

"Second NEXT identified. Rank Twelve. Shatterstone."

"Omer's 'Golden Boy' Micheal…"

"Third. Unranked Interior NEXT. Brunnhilde… Fourth. Unranked Interior… Hrist."

"The Valkyries?!"

"Fifth. Line Ark special asset, Double Heart."

"Line Ark's NEXT?!"

"Sixth. BFF Nevermore." Annie said, "No consistent data for the remaining NEXTs confirmed… They appear to be Arisawa's New Model NEX—"

"Attention Algebra forces. This is the Reactionary Force, Ignition. I am Cristoph, primary operator for the project, and we are taking control of this battle. Our primary objective in this battle is the securing of Colony N73, and elimination of the attacking BETA. We have Eight NEXTs inbound to your location. Follow my orders and you'll make it through this alive with any luck." Cristoph's communication cut Annie's off.

"What?!" Annie exclaimed. "How did you crack our…? Never matter, we need all the help we can get. Cristoph… just what is going on?"

"Like I said, we're taking control of this battle— I assume you're the operator for Algebra forces, then, judging by your tone." Cristoph said sternly.

"Yes, I am."

"Good, then listen to me. Our NEXTs will arrive in about Twenty Five seconds by VOB Hi-boost. They already have their basic orders- I need your forces to coordinate with them…"

"Understood… Cristoph."

"Impossible… just what the hell is going on!?" Jacob exclaimed as he drove his piler into the body of a Grappler.

"…Zephiris is entering laser-detection range— Adler's primary target are Heavy-laser class BETA. Cover him- get missiles in the air immediately." Cristoph said.

"Adler! You've got a Heavy aiming at you!" Annie exclaimed.

"Good… Now!" Adler responded slyly before firing a series of Quick Boosts before purging his VOB. As he did, a flash from the Heavy-laser lit up the sky, its beam narrowly missing Zephiris. "Aerilynn! Kroitchov! Now!" He exclaimed, as missiles shot past his craft, directly towards the massive herd of BETA. Two flashes from the approaching NEXTs signaled sniper rounds being fired- each hitting its mark, causing two separate Heavy-laser class BETA to explode in showers of blood. The remaining pieces of the VOB boosted recklessly and unaimed into the BETA herd. Massive explosions tore across the sky and ground as they were either shot down or slammed into the ground, forcibly igniting the remaining Kojima-enhanced rocket fuel.

"Micheal has fired AL-Missiles… They're being targeted by Laser-class." Cristoph said. "Approach successful. Zephiris has landed. Three Heavy-laser class BETA down."

"The hell… three dead in merely moments?! That's insanely fast." Jacob said. "I knew those Lynx were highly skilled but…"

"AL-Missiles destroyed in flight!" Annie exclaimed. "What kind of plan is that!? You spoke like that was good, Cristoph."

"You're Algebra and you don't know of Omer's newest Missiles?" Cristoph asked. "Designed to fight against the Interior Union, them getting shot down by Laser-weapons creates a laser-absorbing area. We actually want them to be shot down in flight. They're not meant for actual damage."

"I..I've never heard of such a thing!"

"Well, for an Operator under Omer's affiliates, you have a lot to learn…" Micheal chided. "We developed them to counter act the Interior Union's laser weaponry, but that 'war' was brought to a close before they saw major use. However, these BETA, on the other hand are perfect targets for them."

"Remove their laser advantage, and take back the sky." Cristoph added. "Against the BETA, there's no better plan."

"This is Lunaterisa. Freyja-Fudai has landed, I'm in position to fire. Is my shot secured?" Luna's voice came strongly across communications.

"Not yet. Enemy laser-class numbers are higher than expected. Leave the EX-GC SADOGASHIMA on standby. We need those to clear out the enemy. Their numbers are abhorrently large today." Cristoph responded.

"Gotcha, Cristoph. Switching to normal weapons. I'll clear out what I can."

"…The Third Valkyrie? I thought… Wait… she wasn't confirmed. Is she in one of the unknown NEXTs?" Jacob muttered. He fired rounds into the approaching BETA, but quickly halted his attack as he realized his shots would be wasted. A large group of Destroyer-class was approaching.

"Hey Normal pilot, back up, or you'll get caught in the blast." Llad said, calling out to Jacob. "I'm going to deploy Assault Armor against those Destroyers."

"What—Ah, Alright!" Jacob responded, as a Red NEXT, unlike any he had seen before boosted past him. "Just what kind of NEXT is that?!" He exclaimed as he saw it, a Red and white NEXT, armed with two 063ANAR rifles and two ACRUX Hi-laser cannons— its weapons being the only notable thing that Jacob could recognize on it, its frame was radically different from that of a standard NEXT, and most peculiarly it had two large boosters on its back, in addition to the laser cannons.

"Repentence FUDAI." Llad responded, as he approached the destroyers, boosting slightly to avoid their charge and activating the NEXT's Assault Armor, which sent a wave of destructive Kojima particles outward, killing the group of Destroyer-class immediately. Jacob watched as the NEXT spun around, stopping briefly to reload the two rifles it carried, as three laser-class BETA fired their lasers at more of the AL-Missiles.

"Just who are you guys..?" Jacob asked as Llad's NEXT fired up its boosters and he started to face the enemy once more, firing away, killing multiple Grappler-class BETA rapidly.

"We're Ignition… A coalition of Lynx to fight the BETA." Cristoph answered. "A reactionary force that operates outside the League's rules of engagement. We fight to kill BETA, plain and simple."

**Chapter 3: **_**Reaction**_  
_Day 1 (Twenty Seven Days following Operation Ragnarok) – Noon  
League of Ruling Corporations "Exavil 2" facility, Athabasca Crater._

"As it stands, the BETA are still only a minor threat, Mrs. Adriana." A stern faced League representative said. "The 'disaster' at Fort Lyons was brought upon, not by the BETA being a threat, but because of a direct result of both the Interior Union and Omer's actions. We simply cannot agree to this accord."

"If I may, sir…" A man, looking to be in his late forties spoke up.

"Yes, Roadie, do you have anything to say regarding the move to form an official response in regards to this 'BETA threat'?" The representative responded.

"Yes, in fact. I, as an experienced Lynx, have to disagree with this assessment. As you recall, even the full might of GA failed against the Richland Hive." Roadie said. "It's obvious that the BETA are a clear threat, and it's not something we can overlook. We made that mistake with ORCA in the early days of their uprising, and it's not something we can readily afford to do again."

"Roadie, while many of us agree with your sentiment, we cannot allow the forces called for by the Interior. This is the deployment of multiple NEXTs and Main Arms Forts into small scale battlefields— as well as numerous smaller Arms Forts, and Normals. Data suggests, and is backed up by Omer, that correct deployment of Normals is enough to keep the BETA at bay- and outside of Richland, we have little need to attack their Hives." The representative responded. "It's far too great of a risk to mobilize those kinds of forces against targets of such minor value."

"Assumptions can be made, but this is an enemy we still know next to nothing about— outside of the basic tactical data we were able to recover from the Type-00R, we have very little to go on with this enemy. What happens when another Carrier-class shows up? That single BETA brought down one of the Interior Union's strongholds. That kind of force against a Colony would result in millions of casualties." Tadashiro said, reaffirming GA's stance in favor of a large-scale counter offensive.

"And the amount of Kojima released by the deployment of NEXTs and Main Arms Fort Assets in major offenses against Hives can cause just the same." A man in an Omer uniform said, swiftly. "We can fend off most BETA attacks with Normals, and NEXTs if we need to—"

"Can you really stop a carrier, Sir Rausseau?" A woman in a long black formal outfit, adorned with the insignia of the Interior Union. "Why don't you ask Adler, Llad, or one of the other Lynx who fought against one? They all can tell you, NEXT-grade weapons had little effect on it- only Adler was able to wound it, using repeated Blade attacks. And that speaks nothing of the tens of thousands of smaller BETA within."

"I said 'most' BETA attacks, Missus Adriana." The Omer representative responded. "Now, if I may continue… Obviously if a Carrier threatens a colony, we'd use… larger weapons. But is there a necessity to strike the White Africa hive? Or the Lyons Hive? Remember that both are within Polluted Areas— Kojima contamination near where those Hives are makes them unfit for most- it's in fact a surprise the BETA haven't keeled over themselves."

"That is assuming you know the Carrier is coming, Rausseau." Roadie spoke up. "To this, we haven't had much warning for anything regarding the BETA. Hell, if we even knew about them somewhat, May Greenfield would still be alive." His voice rose as he spoke, and ultimately, he slammed his fist down on the meeting table. "Where was your announcement that 'Extraterrestrial lifeforms' had landed with the Triple Impacts?!"

"Cut the foolishness, Roadie. I don't know what happened between you two between Old King's attack on Cradle 03, up until her death at Richland, but you're getting way too emotional over another Lynx." Rausseau responded.

"And you're too inhuman, Rausseau." Adler spoke up. "I don't know where the hell you Omer bastards get off, but the BETA have killed plenty of people, and anything to take them the hell down—!"

"No more than you have, traitorous Lynx. Or did you forget, you destroyed Line Ark's Megalis?" Rausseau responded. "You who raided our facilities and killed how many of employees? Hell, you should be shot right here and now, Adler. I'm surprised Michael saved you and your so-called friends at Lyons."

"I destroyed Megalis on _your_ orders." Adler clenched his fists, ready to punch Rausseau, but Selene grabbed his hand, which made him hold back.

"Cut your arguments. If you've got something to prove, do it on the battlefield." An aged man said, shaking his head. "We at the core of the BFF group, generally agree with the League's assessment of this issue: there is no need to massively deploy assets against the BETA, as, outside of the Richland Hive. However, it does call for the cessation of hostilities between certain groups, and a general front being set to counter act the BETA in general."

"...If I may," Micheal said, throwing a glare towards Adler, "I have to show some dissent with the general view of Omer, but in most regards, I agree with what Wong-Shao Lung has said. Simply put, as evidence I can personally attain to shows, once groups of BETA reach a certain number, it becomes an impossibility to hold them off with Normals, MTs, and Tanks, and this isn't calculating for Laser-Class. This necessitates the use of smaller or mass-produced Arms Forts, like the Cabracan, which has shown extreme effectiveness against BETA herds lacking Heavy-laser class. I will stand by a move to cease direct hostilities between Omer and the Interior Union, and support the move of making an Anti-BETA task force, in the event of Carrier-class BETA, but will not support the idea of a massive assault on the Triple Impact sites."

"So, Golden Boy says his piece." The league representative said, "Well, we will take everything into account. This meeting is over, and Tadashiro, I do believe you had a meeting with "Shadow Warrior" was it?"

"Ah yes, today's so-called 'Order Match'…" Tadashiro said, shaking his head as he stood up. "Although, you may want to pass that message on to the lynx 'Eishi'."

"I will, then, 'Eishi'," The representative said. "It's no secret at this point to who you are. And no secret that today's Order Match is merely a product demonstration by Arisawa Heavy Industries— that said, there's plenty of Lynx and of course, company stockholders- as well as League officials who have today's match in their sights, Tadashiro."

"Well then, I have little doubt that this little 'demonstration' is going to suffice." Tadashiro said, as he followed the rest of the Lynx out of the room. "…The League has no real idea what they're doing. Opposing direct offense against this threat— when they've shown they can adapt to our tactics? Every nineteen days, they get smarter. We don't have time to waste. We need to eliminate the BETA threat." he said under his breath as he turned down the hallway.

_Adjacent Hallway_

"The nerve of those suits!" Kagami exclaimed, "Don't they realize how many people are dead due to the BETA?!"

Adler simply shook his head. "They don't seem to care. They never have. The League is merely a face for Omer—and for the simple interests of those with money and political power."

"But without their backing, we can't do anything." Aerilynn said, shaking her head. "We've got to take action- something…"

"Something can be done." Micheal said, approaching Adler and the Valkyries. "It's simple, really… We take after Thermidor and Strayed— after ORCA."

"What do you mean?" Adler said, the anger on his face, and in his voice hardly diminishing.

"Calm down, traitor, and I'll explain." Micheal said, "Obviously we knew ahead of time this wouldn't work. There's too much power that could swing in any one company's favor for the League to allow a large scale counter-BETA offensive. And then there's still the standard RoE that the League has to abide by— however, the company you hate so much has a solution. It's called 'Project: Ignition' and we had it drafted up almost immediately following the BETA's appearance. However, it was needed that the war between Omer and Interior be brought to a halt."

"How is your 'Project: Ignition' or whatever going to solve this?" Adler said.

"It'll put together a task force of Lynx, linking major assets such as NEXTs, soldiers, and yes, even Arms Forts, for the dedicated purpose of eliminating the BETA threat… one that operates outside the reach of the League of Ruling Corporations: A Reactionary Force."

"That sounds great on paper… but how is it receiving Funding?" Lunaterisa asked. "If it's all from Omer, do you honestly think we're going to go for it? That's essentially turning us into Omer's lapdogs."

"Yeah— I'll never be that again- I'd sooner die to a Tank-class than work for Omer again." Adler said.

"With that attitude, you will, Traitor. And we'd lose the 'Subject' with you— and I can't begin to tell you how much of a loss that would be." Micheal said, nonchalantly.

"YOU BASTARD!" Adler exclaimed throwing a punch at Micheal, who blocked it with his left arm.

"Calm down, traitor. I'm not finished explaining."

"I'm finished listening."

"If that's your choice, it's a foolish one, traitor." Micheal said, shaking his head at Adler "Alright— to answer your question, Lunaterisa, all three major companies will- both the Interior and GA are on board— with GA, or BFF rather making the largest contributions— namely a Main Arms Fort."

"A Main Arms Fort?!" Kagami exclaimed, "— would that be.."

"Yes, the Risen Spirit of Motherwill, which along with Yokohana Colony Base, would serve as primary bases of operations for the reactionary force… In short, while this is an Omer initiative, it's a GA operation. Of course it's all down to obtaining the Lynx. Without Lynx backers, we'll fall short."

"Well… with that much said, can we confirm it?" Luna asked.

"You certainly can trust it." Cristoph's voice echoed down the hallway. "I've read the paperwork myself, and while I don't certainly trust the word of Micheal- despite him keeping true at Lyons, and saving the life of not only Adler, Selene, and myself- but even Colonel Mary, this initiative is very real, and would serve the purposes of what we need to have happen. As we all know- the League's tactics for dealing with the BETA threat simply are not enough. And the legendary Lynx of the years previous are not going to be our saviours: White Glint is long dead, and Strayed is still missing in action ever since the day the Ehrenberg Cannons fired— there are no heroes left to save us- we have to fight for our own future, and forging this alliance will get us there."

"Forget it, Cristoph. This is just-" Adler scoffed.

"Adler, you can very well be left out- but you'll be harming yourself in that regard. Everyone knows you've set the BETA as your next target, so why does it matter who's money, who's missions you take?"

"I won't work for Omer- and this 'Project: Ignition' or whatever they call it, is simply another scheme set for—" Adler tried to contain his words, but his emotions broke his train of thought, and almost instinctively, Selene placed her hand on his back.

"What do they have to gain from this- with so much stock from GA, and the fact that while they organized it, once it's finalized it, we act on our own- only Micheal himself being there as a Lynx Representative. _I'd_ be in more control than Omer's big shots, Adler." Cristoph explained. "You want to take down the BETA, don't you? After what you went through at Richland, at Ragnarok, and Lyons— I remember it clearly, when the final retreat from Lyons was ordered, you wanted to keep fighting- to kill that Carrier-class BETA. You'd have been dead there…"

"If it weren't for Micheal, I know. I also know, he was acting to save Selene- because apparently she's some kind of project to Omer— and that's EXACTLY why I'll never work for them again. You don't realize—"

"Oh, but I do, Adler, I know exactly how manipulative they are. But the same is true of all of the companies. It's really up to you and Selene if you want to join- but I'd suggest it. We really could use you— you're a top class Lynx, and we need everyone we can get."

"…Adler… Let's go think about it— let the rest of them talk. I know you're conflicted about this…" Selene said, taking Adler's hand.

"Right, Selene…"

"By the way, you might want to watch 'Eishi's' Order Match, it's coming up in about an hour. He's deploying in a 'New Model NEXT'," Cristoph finished. "…and one of them is being given to Lunaterisa, provided she signs in with the Project."

"I know, Cristoph. Tadashiro told me himself… _it's the Fudai. They finished it._" Adler said, muttering the last bit under his breath, and only Selene could hear his last words there. "_So Tadashiro is in on this 'Project: Ignition'…hmm… just how deep does this run?"_

_Later that Afternoon  
Athabasca Crater Arena_

"Collared Order Match… Arisawa Lynx, 'Eishi', NEXT: FUDAI, versus Arisawa Lynx, 'Arisawa', NEXT: Raiden… Begin on the mark." The Collared Representative said as the images of Eishi and Arisawa's emblems were displayed on a large screen along with the AP of both NEXTS, Raiden's massive 53772 AP, and the ever unknown 'FUDAI's' at a fairly average 37205. "As this is an Order Match, JIVES will be used… Starting JIVES."

"Failing today, 'Eishi' and you will learn why Arisawa relies on heavy armor." President Arisawa laughed. "You'll break that new toy upon Raiden."

"Oh we shall see, Arisawa… This new NEXT is the result of the project we've been working on for years. You'll see soon enough that the era of FUDAI is here, and times are changing for our company." Tadashiro chided.

-ORDER MATCH START-

The cameras quickly targeted the new NEXT, which Adler recognized immediately. "That- that's Takemikazuchi!" It's frame was virtually identical- even to the effect of having the 'Jump Units' still mounted- although it became clear fast that they were mounted as a support and Overed-Booster, much like the wing-like boosters of the White Glint, although one could tell they were integrated into the legs, rather than the Core. Its right arm carried what Adler assumed to be a blade, although looking at it, he couldn't quite tell, recalling the appearance of a certain Rosenthal-made laser rifle. It was mounted in a strange manner— that much was clear. It had multiple missile launching systems equipped: Musselshell Shoulders, and Wheeling01 back. The Algebra made Grenade Launcher, Sapla, and the PA suppression Cannon topped off the build. The whole thing was black and a grayish green— the corporate colors of Arisawa heavy industries.

"Wait, you— it IS that thing you found, isn't it?" Llad said, "Geez. It's fast…" He said, watching as it effortless dodged out of the way of an Oigami shot that flew off into the distance.

"Wait, you knew about that craft, Adler?" Kagami asked, "Why didn't you tell anyone!?"

"I didn't know the 'new model NEXT' that Arisawa was building was going to be the exact same as that TSF, Kagami."

"TSF?" Kagami said, with a quizzical tone.

"...Tactical Surface Fighter. They predated Cores, and were used alongside the XAF— err, the XG-70, to fight BETA when they landed here over a hundred years ago." Adler said. "Doesn't matter though, considering that… isn't a TSF. It's a NEXT."

"Ha… You put up a good fight, 'Eishi'!" Arisawa said, as missiles bombarded his Raiden, but in the smoke, he was disarming the Oigami, and activating Raiden's dual Grenade arms. "But, you cannot possibly dodge forever!" He said, firing a pair of shots.

"You're wrong, President!" Tadashiro exclaimed, firing a quick boost forward and then slightly adjusting, and firing another one to the side almost immediately, dodging the grenade round by such a narrow margin that the active Kojima particles of FUDAI's primal armor flew away with the shells. "It is you who cannot dodge my offense forever, sir." FUDAI's boosters flashed again, as it closed in, and immediately the weapon on the NEXT's arm that Adler had assumed to be a blade flipped out and forward as a curtain of Kojima charged bullets and a veritable storm of missiles rained down upon Raiden. "Behold the PB-124-WS 'Shirogane', WHITE STEEL! The latest in a new philosophy of weaponry!" Tadashiro shouted as the mystery weapon locked itself into the hand of the NEXT and it ignited with a blaze of white-tinged plasma. Fudai swung the weapon down upon Raiden, which collapsed.

"You… Defeated my Raiden!?" Arisawa said, shaking his head. "Impressive, Tadashiro. Well then… I concede. The FUDAI will enter full production as the newest NEXT from Arisawa Heavy Industries."

"…So that's the NEXT I'll be piloting…" Lunaterisa said looking at the victor, "It seems… sturdier than the Sione, but at the same time, I'm not sure I…"

"So, you actually accepted Micheal's deal then, Luna?" Adler said.

"Of course… I— he may nearly killed me, but I cannot possibly continue to live on this Earth with the BETA present- knowing I could make an impact in saving lives from them. Joining this reactionary force… it may be the only way, no it is the only way."

"What, did you not, Adler?" Llad asked.

"… I haven't decided yet— I take it you did then, Llad?"

"Of course. It's either sign on with this Reactionary force or stay fighting odd jobs, and hell, I might end up the next May Greenfield- sent out to fight those damn things alone if I don't. I know it's working with Omer, but we'll be based in Yokohana, or the Risen Spirit, so it wouldn't be like things really have changed, but we won't be fighting other people any more. We'll be fighting for a cause this time, Adler."

"Damn, so it seems everyone we know has signed on with them…" Adler said, "You know, we never did get around to…"

"We should join them." Selene said. "I don't want to work with Omer- they… hurt me. But, Adler… we've got people we care about, right..? And… I… I want to be rid of those terrible things… I don't want anyone else to become like May, Mira, or Diana- I don't want to see anyone else eaten alive… but we can't run from this forever… We have to fight. I have to fight… and I don't want to be away from you."

"Well if that's what you think…" Adler said, "Damn, where the hell is that smug bastard when I actually want to see him?!"

"Hmm… well that went surprisingly well… I suppose I better talk to Tadashiro about purchasing one of those 'FUDAI', because, well, I'm impressed at least." Llad said, as Adler and Selene ran off in search of Micheal.

_Elsewhere_

"You certain, Cristoph?" Micheal said, "We thought we knew how he thought, and look at how Lyons turned out."

"You obviously did not ever truly know Adler, then Micheal. He'll join the force." Cristoph responded.

"Well then, Cristoph, as you'll be the primary operator, I suppose, I should let you know more of the capabilities of the top secret research project- or rather, the new 'weapon' as it were, developed by Omer-Science Technology."

"Well, are we going to be using it?"

"You already have been… in fact, it's been used by Adler."

"So that's why your little agent stopped short of destroying that NEXT."

"It's not Zephiris. That was merely a stock Lahire. There is absolutely nothing special about it outside of its dual-pilot cockpit, but even that isn't entirely uncommon. And it's not Redeemer either- if it was, I wouldn't even be having this conversation, as the majority of that NEXT was lost during the destruction of Fort Lyons."

"Well, then, Micheal, what is it that Adler's been using?"

"A Zero-Zero Unit— the end result of the Silent Night Project."

"What is that, if I might ask?"

"To put it simply, Cristoph— bear in mind, I'm only explaining this to you as a need to know, it's an advanced computer capable of performing calculations on a quantum level, and operating any form of machinery, and carrying out Probability manipulation. In short, a computational super weapon."

"And Adler carries this… 'Zero-Zero Unit' on his person?"

"Of course not."

"Well, how else..?"

"…Zero-Zero doesn't have any meaning to computers, to put it plainly. It meant something along the lines of 'Zero signs of life, Zero organic material', however that term is not necessarily correct, and it's not necessarily what Silent Night was creating… How do I put this… Ah yes, you know of the OP-Intensify, correct?"

"I thin— Yes, the forbidden weapon that emulated a human mind, modeled after the Human-Plus Project?"

"It's all lead to this. The recreation of a Zero-Zero unit. Every one of those projects, save for the OP-Intensify itself has been to recreate a Zero-Zero unit."

"You say, 'recreate'?"

"It was originally developed in 2001, however, those responsible took the secrets of how it was made to the grave— years after the original unit's death in 2002… For years, various groups of people tried to tap into the cryptic research stolen from the labs where it was originally created, to decipher various mysteries- all for the sake of recreating that weapon. However none could accomplish it, because every attempt was fundamentally flawed. So none succeeded until the day, we at Omer pulled it off- finally cracking the century's old code and building a new unit, that ran on Kojima Power… then Adler stole our completed Zero-Zero and betrayed the company."

"I think I got it… but… do you possibly mean…"

"I do. Selene. Selene Sestina- our ultimate weapon, the completed Zero-Zero Unit. A quantum computer designed to turn any NEXT into a super weapon that eclipses the power of a Main Arms Fort."

"…Do you have any idea what you've told me…?"

"Tell Adler and you'll be the first to die, and it won't be my hand. Tell anyone else and it will get to Adler."

"Why trust me with this information?"

"Like I said, need to know. I don't plan on dying out there, and frankly we can't lose the unit either. You're our primary operator."

"So then, what _do_ we tell Adler? Because now his survival is paramount."

"Zephiris is equipped with a super weapon developed by Omer. He stole it years ago at the Arsenal."

"…I still don't like you, Micheal."

"I know you don't."

* * *

**Author's Note: **IT'S NOT DEAD. HOLY DAMN. (Well, I knew Fire Emblem Awakening would distract the crap out of me... wasn't expecting to get so sidetracked...) Anyways... yeah. Hello update. Half a year late, but hey, better (Extremely) late than never, right? As always, Reads and Reviews are appreciated. Now what the hell would Omer want... and can anyone really trust anyone?


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